


Fool Off The String

by Valiax



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Found Family, Gen, Humor, Transformation, i'm doing this for fun, random shenanigans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:55:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 51,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22688077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valiax/pseuds/Valiax
Summary: After being defeated to a spar with God Tamer at the colosseum, Tiso's finally had enough and decides he's going to find an easier way to beat her once and for all to become champion. Little does he realize that there's a price for wanting power and strength when he doesn't quite get what he wants. With the help from a little vessel and their sister, can Tiso be able to revert back to normal or will he forever be the 'Fool off the string'?
Comments: 53
Kudos: 171





	1. The Easy Way Out

**Author's Note:**

> Short story thought of not too long ago with a couple buddies that I couldn't pass on wanting to write to a much later date and possibly lose the motive. No set schedule of updates with this one. Thanks to Dooblebugs off Tumblr for helping with getting Tiso's personality down.   
> Please enjoy the small laughs as much as I am!

The dust kicked into Tiso's mouth as he hits the ground. A reaction to spit it out only proves more grit to rub against his tongue, the bland taste and scratching giving him a constant reminder how he got to this moment in time to begin with. In fact the answer didn't have to be searched for long as it stood right in front of him. His eyes trail up, staring at a bug in tarnished red armor, a great blade resting on her shoulders and not far off a strange many eyed beast waiting for their master to be done with this time wasting ant.

"Well? Had enough? We done here now?" God Tamer states, not even offering her hand to help Tiso up. Not like he'd take it anyways.

"Nah, I'm just... contemplating."

The warrior huffs a single laugh, smirking behind her helmet. She steps in closer, crouching down to get a closer look at the little fool's face.

"Contemplating how I'm going to bring you down again? Be thankful I agreed to a spar. Otherwise if this was a real trial... you'd be dead already. You really need better practice." She points out then turns her back to the fallen fool. 

Tiso grumbles under his breath and finally pushes himself up off the training floor beneath the colosseum. Another lost, another failure. Is that all he was good at? Being the laughing stock in front of the whole collective of warriors testing their might for the chance of fortune and glory? Now to his feet, he merely dusts himself off, careful of the still fresh scar now across his chest, his armor no better off with the horrid crack down the side. A reminder of why he was here in the lowly training pit squaring off with the champion in the first place. 

He failed the first time.

It was any luck he didn't fully die from his injuries, that he was tossed out with the rest of the fallen fools, bodies falling as steadily as the ash snow that blanketed the Kingdom's Edge. Nor was it by chance that the little wanderer happened to pass by, spotted his dying body and proceeded to take him back to the town on the surface to recover. Now he was well enough to attempt again to take the champion's place, to become the greatest fighter the colosseum has ever known.

"Oh come on, I'd say you're holding back!" Tiso returns with a smug grin. Even with him constantly hitting the dirt and losing the match, there was still a bit of spunk left in the ant.

"Just one more round, you're holding yourself back you know."

God Tamer pauses, getting a curious gaze from her beast only to look back over her shoulder. Was this bug for real?!

"Holding back? You moron! Of course I'm holding back so I don't crumble your sorry ass into dust! I promised that little short stack warrior I wouldn't harm you during training! You have guts for coming back, sure, but you're not a fool enough to think you can take on me in the arena while still sporting a injury as deep as that on your side, you're the whole clown school if you think you can simply waltz into the arena the way you are now." 

"Hey! I think I have a chance this time! Come on God Tamer, show me what you got! I can take it, or do I need to show you my secret attack I just came up with that will make you the fool?!" Another smug remark from Tiso, waltzing up with his head up high as if the spar before was nothing more than a mere shove.

Compared to what God Tamer does next, it might as well be.

She whips around, weapon in hand coming to crash down on Tiso. He blocks with his shield, fighting back the tremendous weight of her blade. With a grunt, he pushes her back, looking for an opening. Instead, he finds himself slammed into and away he goes across the air and hitting the dirt once again. Tiso sputters, moaning slightly as the pain in his side flairs back up. His vision blurs in and out for a moment only for his eyes to widen in focus, one of God Tamer's legs right in front of him. 

Reaching down, the warrior snatches Tiso by his hood, hand managing to grab at one hidden antenna and yanks him up hard to his feet till they met eye to eye.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Why'd you do that!?" He yelps.

God Tamer stares at him, her face expressionless at first before curling into a wicked smile with a equally smug chuckle.

"What? You told me to not hold back. I think we're done here. It's clear you need more healing time. Put some real food in your gut and sleep for once. Only then can you come see me again and we'll try at some sparring to see if you're ready to take me on in the colosseum." 

Letting go, Tiso would flop face first back into the dirt, mumbling and grumbling as he attempts to pick himself back up. Dusting himself off, he watches on in distaste watching as God Tamer turns back to return to her beast's side, stroking the side of its massive head, making little circles just under its largest eyes all the while whispering sweet things. The beast gurgles to the affection, pressing into that hand like any local pet would do. The scene made Tiso want to spit out every scrap of dirt from his tongue. 

How dare she coddled over some beast she managed to tame, treating it more fairly than she'd treat him! Him! A proud warrior that would of had, no should have, won the colosseum's tournaments and become the new champion! The thought of her constantly berating him like some dumb grub or worse... the so called 'knight of great renown' while she treated her stead like it was her closest friend.

"Are you quite done playing with that thing?! Come on, I can take ya! I was just playing soft with you." Tiso tries, only getting a snap back that makes him shut back down in his armor.

"No! Tiso get out of here before I set my beast on you and we both know how that is going to go. Come back when you're strong enough to handle what I'm capable of dishing out if you plan on not become the laughing stock of the colosseum... again!"

Tiso flinches at first, only to move so he may pick up his shield off the ground. Well, she didn't have to be that snappy about it. He was only messing around to get her to fight back. He lets out a disappointed huff, raising a hand to wipe some dust off his cheek. 

"Stronger huh? Sure, I'll do just that. Just you wait Tamer! When I get back, you'll be wishin' you were as strong as me!" 

"You better hold to your word Tiso. Don't disappoint me." God Tamer waves a hand at him, watching through the eye holes of her helmet as the little fool exits out of the colosseum's training grounds. Once he was gone, she turns back to her beast, patting it on the head.

"That fool better not get in any more trouble than what he's worth. I want a challenge, not a wannabe warrior. Oh by the gods above, if any are listening, make that fool into something worth fighting for!"

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - 

"Stronger, get stronger she says! I've been practicing and practicing! What do I get to show for it? A mouth full of dirt. Feh, I'll show them, I'll prove I have what it takes!"

Tiso grumbles to himself, walking down the familiar misty paths of the crossroads. His shield at his side, he barely keeps an eye out for those shambling husks that on occasion he had the unfortunate of having to deal with. A mild nuisance to be sure, they hardly put up much of a fight against the would be warrior. He scoffs at the idea of practicing his move sets against them. Those zombie bugs were mere child's play.

Speaking of which, he pauses in time to look up and spot one of those husks, groaning as it walks down the path ahead of him. Tiso debated on attacking just for the sake of attacking. Though what good would it bring? Nothing to boost up in his strength and ability. He needed a better way to get where God Tamer expected him to be at if he ever hoped to best her in the ring, an easier and faster way.

Readying his shield, Tiso decided it go and attack anyways. If anything, to drain out the bit of frustration out of his system. He takes in a deep breath, body tensing up. Yet looks like someone else beats him to it.

The husk groans out, crumbling to the ground in a heap, revealing none other than the little wanderer with those empty eyes and nail in hand. They look up, spotting Tiso and stand still.

"Oh great! Just what I needed! Thanks for stealing my kill! I swear I was going to get that guy until you came along!" He shouts, folding his arms across his chest. 

The wanderer merely looks at him for a moment longer, then turns their head and proceeds to walk down a less used path. Wait, where was that pipsqueak going!?

"He-hey wait for me! You can't just jump on someone else's target and just... walk away like that!" He complains, catching up to the silent little bug.

Tiso hurries over, surprised that the wanderer would actually wait for him. They tilt their head, curious it would seem despite the lack of expression on their face. After a moment, they proceed to point to Tiso then to his shield. It takes the better part of his mind to try to convey exactly what this strange bug child was asking of him.

"Oh? Well, Tamer's sparring has been... eh. Said I need better training! Hah, I already have all the training in the world, what more could I need?" He answers, puffing out his chest as if what little he did was far more than that incompetent bug Zote could boast!

"But... I really don't have much time till the next trials comes around. Heh, you wouldn't happen to know of any special means to help do ya shorty?"

The wanderer stares up at Tiso before lowering their head. Turning back, they point down the path they were following. Taking a moment to look down, the path ahead looked far older than the rest of the crossroads. Strange, it felt as if something was pulling them along. A strange mysterious force guiding him to seek his answers. It grasp his hand, tugging along following the wisps that seemed to serpentine and- oh.

His hand was being held by the wanderer, pulling him along like some eager child. In a hard jerk back, Tiso tucks both hands under his armpits, squaring his shoulders up.

"I can walk on my own, thank you very much! Where in this wreck of a kingdom are you taking me anyways?"

Of course the wanderer says nothing, merely guiding down this little used pathway. Tiso could detect something, a faint smell wavering in the air. It smelt of damp earth, of incense smoking in the draft breeze. Something about this location seems old, maybe forgotten except for a select few. Could even be considered ancient by bug standards, far older than the crumbling buildings of the old city. Tiso looks on ahead and notes a strange structure. A temple of some kind? Surrounding the entrance what appeared to be round cage torches and... were those bug masks? 

Something didn't settle right and he finds himself stopping short of the entrance. 

"I-I-I'm not going in there! What if it's a trap you've set for me!? I ain't falling for it!" He states, clearly unnerved by the sight. 

The wanderer looks back at Tiso, staring at him with those empty eyes. Was he silently being judged? Was the big, brave warrior Tiso afraid of a little dark and spooky tribal decorations? A few blinks of realization and suddenly he puffs out his chest.

"It's not like I'm afraid! No! Fine, I'll follow along but just to warn you, I have a deadly weapon and I'm not afraid to use it to save my shell!"

Receiving nothing but a empty gaze, Tiso mutters under his breath, pushing aside his companion. Like he'd show them he was afraid! A true warrior isn't afraid of anything set before him! He hears the small wanderer follow behind, seemingly not minding his little outburst. With a disapproving look, he watches as the strange bug dashes on ahead.

The ground sounded strange and when they come close towards a circle of lights, Tiso finally realizes they're walking on dozens upon dozens of small masks. Were they ever used or just placed ceremonially, he wasn't sure and quite frankly not in the mood to ask. He looks on ahead, spotting what looked to be the torso of some creature not bug like, or at least the remains. It was converted into some sort of hut, decorated with more of those rather spooky looking masks that also littered the ground. Tiso's sight finally lands on the owner of the hut and the uneasiness just kept crawling back.

"Ohohoho! Welcome back my little nail wielding friend! I didn't think I'd see you return so soon." 

It was a snail, and by the looks of it, the keeper of the place. With their spooky staff to spooky necklace all made from the small masks, Tiso couldn't stop thinking the word best to describe this place. Spooky, spooky... spooky.

The wanderer gazes to the snail before turning to look back towards Tiso. At that moment Tiso realized he was being stared at, maybe judged. Was he? What's this snail have that he didn't? Certainly didn't look like a fighter of any kind and yet it seems the small knight knew of this slimy bug better than he did at least.

"Ah what do we have here? A friend of yours?" The snail asks, getting a nod from the Knight. He looks back to Tiso, studying the ant up and down before letting out a chuckle.

"Ohoho! You must be a warrior. Yes, I can sense you did not chance come by this direction. You are seeking something, something to aid you for the challenges you face head on before you! I am known as the Snail Shaman of this Ancestral Mound. A friend of my little warrior companion is a friend of mine."

"Ah uh. So you hear of me huh? No doubt you have any idea why I'm here?" Tiso grumbles, folding his arms over his chest. What a waste of time, here he was nearly shaken in his shell and the snail's some crazy old coot, maybe. Maybe he downed to many mushroom stews and lost a bit of his mind. 

The shaman merely chuckles, lightly shaking his staff, getting Tiso even more irritated. This shell head had some nerve to simply laugh him off. He was not some weak minded bug shambling about, he was a warrior! That was no laughing matter!

"A warrior in a place like this? Sounds to me you are in desperation my friend. Yes, I can see it in your demeanor, how you hold yourself. A lost is not easy to get over, oh no! Especially in the circle from which champions are titled. Hm, I may have something that could give you the winning edge to which that you seek."

Now that got Tiso's attention. He blinks once, looking surprised before looking down to the Knight.

"Hey why didn't you tell me this guy could help!? I've been looking for an easy way to finally get back at God Tamer and show her I can best her once and for all!"

The Knight merely stares back at Tiso, not offering any sort of feedback, or maybe it did and Tiso failed to notice the slightest of shrugs from them. They watch him as he approaches closer, all the while the shaman returns to his strange primitive hut. It doesn't take him long and reemerges, holding in one hand a strange looking flask of a dark purple hue.

"Here we are, potion making has become somewhat of a lost art in exchange for Soul magic. Ohoho! My warrior friend, take this with you, I believe it will give you what you need." The Snail Shaman presents only to blink in surprise the moment Tiso snatches it from his hand.

"So what's this stuff suppose to do?" He demands, shaking the bottle's contents hearing a muted slouching sound inside.

"Ah, it is an old potion of strength! It shall grant the user great powers but do beware! Once you drink the contents, it shall call forth the essence of the closest strongest being to you, empowering you with their strength and power."

At hearing the explanation, the tiny wheels started turning in Tiso's head. If he took this strange liquid, that is if the spooky snailman was telling the truth, then he could take on the strength of God Tamer becoming stronger as her if not better! Yes, this was the lucky break he needed! With a grin, he pockets the potion, already planning on how to use this to his full advantage.

"Perfect, just what I need. See ya Squib! Hope I don't end up crushing ya in the colloseum next time you come around!" He just manages to push out before turning tail and heading out the way he came in.

The poor Knight could only stare off in the direction Tiso ran off to. After all that he was just going to head off back to the colloseum without so much as a thank you? They turn back to the Snail Shaman who seems unaffected by the rather rude gesture. In fact, he seems rather amused by the whole ordeal. Was there something he knew the Knight did not? So the vessel tilts their head, watching the shaman intently.

"Oh my, quite the impatient fellow wasn't he? Dear me, I forgot to mention some things to him before he rushed out about that potion. Ah well, I believe our warrior friend will figure out on his own when the time comes, dohoho! Now then, I do believe you own me a favor...."

The Knight stares, and secretly, does not like the idea of once again having to cover for Tiso... 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

White ash gently fell down all around the Kingdom's Edge like snow. Once back to this area, Tiso stares up from the tunnel entrance area, hearing the faint cheers from the colloseum above. One of the smaller competitions must have started so chances were Tamer wasn't slated for those fights. He hops down one level, trying to figure out the distance he needed to be. Too close and he accidently take on the powers of some weakling, too far away and he might not even gain that strength ability at all.

"Gotta place it just right. Hopefully this ain't some sick trick. That snail guy was nuts." He mutters to himself before opening the contents. 

Tiso takes a sniff only to tense up at the smell, foul and old, stinking of a time before the use of Soul magic crafts. He grimaces, staring at the flask. Yet the longer he stares, the more his stomach decided to bypass the scent of something old. He places a hand to his gut, and realized he hadn't eaten, not really anyways. 

"Eh, soon as this thing works, I'll practically have those fools feeding me like a god!" He grins to himself. Oh yes he could see himself right there, sitting in the Lord Fool's throne being served the finest meals and hearty meats as he's titled champion of the colloseum!

"Yeaaa... I can just taste the juicy boofly chops! Welp, bottoms up!" 

Taking in a deep breath, Tiso downs the potion and instantly regrets it. The flavor tasted of stale old watered down tea mixed with mud. It slid down his throat like sludge, leaving behind a slimy after taste he couldn't quite get the texture away. It settled in his stomach with a hard weight, making him slightly queasy to say the least. The taste lingered enough that he started spitting what he could into the ash snow.

"Ugh! Gross, what kind of crazy concocted stuff is this!? How's tasting foul gonna make me stronger? This better be worth it or else I may just show that crazy coot a piece of my mind!"

Crossing his arms, Tiso waited pondering to himself. Just how long did this potion take to work? Was it instantaneous? He certainly didn't feel stronger in that moment. So to test his theory, he turns around, eyeing up a small boulder. He flexes his right hand a few times, making a fist. He takes in a deep breath, body tensing up as he goes in to punch the boulder, expecting it to shatter into pieces. Instead, it doesn't even crack to his fist, but his hand sure didn't take the hit lightly.

"AAAH! Ow ow ow ow!" He yelps out, backing away to shaking his hand in hopes of ebbing the pain away.

"Okay, that was stupid! Hm, maybe this stuff takes time to cook and I ain't got much left." 

He looks back up towards the colloseum far above, only to find himself sitting down on the ground cross-legged. Well, maybe he did have some time, by the sounds of the cheers and faint drums, this was the beginner's trials. He'd long since gotten past that hurdle so there was no need to rush back up and get his way. Tiso's goal was to beat God Tamer and by sneaking some of her essence of strength, he'd be unstoppable! 

"Yeah, I can see it now, soon as I get strong as her, Tamer's gonna wish she'd be with me instead of that stupid beast of hers! Hm... maybe I can wait it out till this stuff kicks in. Yeah, sounds like a plan, take a quick nap, let it do it's thing and when she sees me, she's gonna be so impressed she won't be able to keep her hands off me! Haha, yep!"

So, leaning up against the rock he tried to punch earlier, Tiso sets his shield beside him, staring up at the ash snow steadily falling all around him, the occasional body of a dead loser not too far away. His breathing became more steady, eyes fixated on the area where the colloseum would be until he feels his eyelids grow heavy. It would take long for the little fool to fall asleep, lightly snoring once or twice.

All the while, the ash continues to fall gently like snow, and as some come to land up top of him, the flakes begin to glow with a bluish pale light.


	2. A Big Change

The growl of Tiso's stomach wakes him up with a groan to compliment it.

Ash continues to fall, as it always has been in the Kingdom's Edge though as his vision starts to come into focus, the normally large pieces of ash now seemed smaller, lighter even. Maybe it was just his imagination. Yet something felt wrong and he couldn't place it. He stirs a bit, taking a deep breath only to exhale and at that moment he freezes. The sound of his breath was deeper, almost ominous. Did the potion work? Was he stronger than God Tamer now?

Tiso tries to pick himself off the ground, finding it weird how he was sleeping on his stomach. However, he finds his arms not responding and in desperation tries to flail about to no avail. It felt as his his limbs were bound to his body, yet as he shifts side to side, he felt no ropes or any sort of bindings on him. Did that crazy bug with the red cloak and needle get to him for being too close to some cave she has a tendency of guarding when in the area!? Just how long was he asleep for?!

Great, he thinks to himself. She's probably mad at him and has that strange white threads of hers tied up all around him. So Tiso tries again to break the suppose constraints keeping up from getting up. Instead, something... moves near him.

Freezing in place, Tiso stays still, waiting for the movement to come into view. After a moment of nothing, he sighs out in half relief that cloaked fighter wasn't here. Unless she came through, tied him up and then left him to be some laughing stock in front of the other would be warriors back up in the colosseum. Oh the nerve of that girl! With a deep breath, he attempts once more to pull himself up.

In a rush of air, he feels himself lifting up, rather fluidly. It surprises him at first, looking around to make sure he wasn't tied down to anything. However, the moment he looks down at the ground alongside him, he screams.

Tiso tries to shrink away, seeing something next to him, partially coiled. A tail, long and serpentine with scaling in dark blue similar in color to his own armor with the underside a deep black. A line of scales separating the two colors shimmers in silver. Some sort of creature was sleeping right next to him, possibly waiting for him to wake up so it could torment him before eating him alive! What he wasn't counting on seeing was the moment he shrinks back, the coiled limb starts to twitch, and slowly unfurls as if dragged along for the ride. He needed to get out of here and fast, but first, where was his shield!?

He whips his head side to side, searching for his weapon to get out of here, escape somewhere so he wouldn't end up as monster chow. Somehow he felt his heart reach up into his throat. What a time to lose his shield! He knew he shouldn't of come down this far, now he was going to become crushed and squashed at the same time all the while God Tamer would just laugh and shake her head at the end of this 'fool'.

How could he of lost his shield so easily!? The thought of being weaponless in this lawless dying kingdom was borderline walking with death! He tries to search about, shuffling along the ground in his binds. Maybe he could feel for his shield, bump into it so at least he knew it was just covered by the ashen snow. Any sign before that coiled beast nearby wakes up and...

Tiso felt a small bump against him. He looks down and at last there's his shield somehow shoved aside from the boulder he was resting against not too long ago. A boulder... that looked to be the size of a small rock and his shield...

"Wha... what's going on here!?" He mutters and freezes, feeling his mouth, the way it moved. It felt off, something wasn't right.

Slowly he sticks forth his tongue only for it to sink right back into his mouth, feeling something sharp sticking out above and below in a single, serrated line. He feels his stomach start to twist, panic filling his mind. What had that little spider fighter done to him!? His eyes trail back down to the shield half shoved into the ash snowbank. Against his not so great judgement, he tries to see if he can lean in against his restraints and actually finds it quite easy to do so, and yet as he bends down... it's not natural. He shouldn't bend down in such a graceful curve. In doing so, he finds his shield... is as small as a single piece of Geo. 

"No... no this can't be. Why's my shield so small!?" He finds himself shouting, and flinches when loose rocks suddenly fall from crevices along the walls of the cliff face in perfect reaction to his voice.

Tiso looks up, watching the small pebbles rain down, they might as well been dust balls in his eyes.

"Hey!" He shouts, and again more small rocks fall, the ground below him trembling with his voice. It was at that moment he thinks to himself if the potion worked. 

"HEY!" He shouts again, harder and louder this time, and the whole area trembles. A few larger stones fall, one hitting the tail of the coiled 'beast'. Yet, as it does and Tiso thinks that the rock would crush the creature for him and give him the good luck, he's immediately hit with pain.

"Ahh! What the heck!? How could I feel that!?" He yelps, and at last his eyes finally trail the coiled tail, following the deep navy blue and black scaled body around and around till the serpentine body moves away from the coil. 

His blood felt like ice the moment he sees where the rest of the body went and at last he finally looks down at himself and comes to the realization for why his shield looked so small.

Tiso never screamed as hard as he did in his whole life till now.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

The Knight, also referred to as 'Ghost', continues down the passageways, heading for the Kingdom's Edge. They wouldn't admit it to anyone, but silently there was some concern for Tiso's well being. Maybe they should of thought it over before dragging him off to see the Snail Shaman? Then again, they always acted on actions first, ask questions later. They should probably start changing that if Tiso especially was going to head off without question with some mysterious substance for who knows what the ant was planning on using it for only for them to have to 'pay the bill' sort of speak with the Shaman.

Still, Ghost felt compelled to go after their friend after finding him left for dead hanging off the edge of a cliff below the colosseum not too long ago. It was them who dragged his body with the reluctant help from their sister Hornet to the nearest hot springs to heal the rather nasty wounds. Though he managed to survive to fight another day, he would always carry those scars across his chest, cut into the very shell. If only Ghost could figure out a way to convince Tiso that fighting wasn't everything.

Then again, they'd be considered a hypocrite having fought all over Hallownest and the trials the colosseum could offer. Then, there was the fact they had their sibling, the chosen, freed from the Old Light very recently (with some... additional abilities), the one that made Hallownest a sad sorry state it was in. Well, maybe there were other things to enjoy besides fighting? Tiso seemed to enjoy food so that could be something new to explore?

It wouldn't take them long till their pale little face would feel the slight cold air of the Kingdom's Edge lands. Stepping outside fully, it was a slight surprise to see up ahead several of the fighters normally inside the colosseum waiting for their turn at an attempt of glory and winnings, outside looking around as if greatly spooked by them. Among them, was God Tamer.

Curious, Ghost tilts their head, approaching the group whom many recognize them and step aside. Tamer turns her attention towards the mysterious silent warrior. Letting out a huff, she wasn't surprised to see them here of all bugs, especially with the recent events that just occurred. 

"I see the noises drew you here as well, little warrior?" She asks though in a slight impatient look on her face, the helmet cracked open to expose her scared and battle worn features.

Ghost stares up at her before shaking their head. What noises? Here they had come in to check on their friend and to see if they got what they wanted from that ancient looking potion. Though looking at Tamer and how she behaved, it didn't seem like Tiso's potion worked. Was she not the strongest in the whole area? That's what Tiso's goal seemed to be was to be stronger than God Tamer so he may best her in combat for once.

A strange, alien reverberate screech suddenly echoes upwards from below, spooking some of the fighters. 

"Screw this, I'm going back inside! Who knows what's dragged itself into the edge of the kingdom! All I know is it's big if it's making that noise!" One of the fools shouts and rushes back into the colosseum with two other fools.

"Hah! Cowards!" Tamer shouts back. 

She returns to meet her gaze back on Ghost, and pulls out her weapon, ready to look for a fight. 

"Whatever's down there, I intend to see it end its miserable screeching. I can't have our trials constantly interrupted if the crowd gets spooked by some unnatural wailing that needs to die!"

Ghost holds of their hand, blocking her from leaping down. They then point to themselves, drawing forth their nail and then point to Tamer and then the colosseum. It takes her a moment to figure out the gestures, never one to really take the time to examine such things. Time wasters when one could be attacking or defending against an attack. Once she finally figures it out, her body tenses up, as if being thrown an insult.

"You're asking me to stay back and you investigate instead? Something below that could be worth its weight in a glory kill and you request me of all warriors to sit back like some weakling trainee!?"

The silent knight nods, still holding their nail out. God Tamer's place was back in the fighting ring, not down below where who knows what was lurking that could be making that haunting screech that echoes off the walls. It would seem she wasn't going to back down, to challenge the small fry of a fighter. Just as she starts to argue back, one of the remaining shielded fools still left outside speaks up for her.

"Tamer, you know the rules. Unless you defeat them in the trials again, we must honor their request. Surely they can take on whatever lurks beneath. The trials are much more important if you wish to reclaim your title." He speaks.

That left a bitter taste in Tamer's mouth but he did speak the truth. There was a warrior's code at the colosseum for a reason and she, like the others, must honor the code that was placed here by the old Lord Fool long ago. To descend now in the deeper parts of the edge of the kingdom right in the middle of a trial series going on was to forfeit her position. Something God Tamer did not take delight in knowing. Oh, if only she had it her way.

"Very well, I'll allow you this time to go investigate but if you do not return once these trials are done for the day, then I will go see for myself and there won't be an old dusty warrior's code to follow by afterwards. Understood?" She explains, her eyes narrowed enough that in the pale light one could see a faint scar running under her right eye.

Ghost nods, seeing her finally understanding and turns to leap below, leaving God Tamer and the remaining fools behind to investigate the mysterious and otherworldly sounds.

It would be no easy feat for the small knight to make the descent. Hoppers and Great Hoppers still bound about and the faint sounds of aspids was enough to get the vessel up and running down faster. The less time they spent down here, the better. They had other things to do, far more important now, like making sure Tiso was okay. Maybe he was inside the colosseum and Tamer told him to stay inside? Even with that potion of strength, whatever mysterious entity was down here might be too much for the would-be warrior like Tiso.

As they continue down, it takes Ghost a moment for them to notice a nice lack of aspids hovering about. Usually they'd be swarmed with the little flying death traps but thanks to the most recent events they've undertook, the lack of the little devils was a nice change of pace. They couldn't say much for the Hoppers and Great Hoppers though. Ghost would have to time themselves, ensuring to dodge and weave away from the bounding bugs, looking agitated as usual. 

It would of been an easy dash through, avoid the Great Hopper blocking the way, if it wasn't for that reverberating roar, now much louder with that bellowing echo off the rock walls. The bouncing bug came to a stop, only to backtrack and come straight for Ghost. They pull out their nail, knowing it was too late to try to dodge out of the way to avoid damage.

They take in a breath, ready for the impact from the Great Hopper with their nail to use as a mere obstacle, expecting to be slammed into. What they weren't expecting was the giant shadow emerging from the falling ash veil, a pair of white eyes staring down at the knight's plight.

Ghost certainly wasn't prepared as the Great Hopper jumps up about to land on top of them when a pair of dark blue jaws snatches down on the bug, lifting it into the air with a loud crunch of shell.

It takes them a good minute to come to their senses, just staring at where the Great Hopper could of smacked into them. At last they hear the idle crunching, a great swallow of something large before there's a short pause of silence, then the echoing bellow roar from before. Ghost gets back up, rushing over to the edge of the platform they stood on so at last they could see what was the being that made that strange, otherworldly noise. What they saw, they couldn't believe. Something thought impossible, weren't their kind extinct in this part of the vast world!? Yet, here before the little knight was one creature very few beings could ever hope to take on, let alone see alive before their eyes.

A wyrm.

The great beast towers over Ghost. The head was wedged shape, dark blue in color all around except for a marking of black that acted like a 'mask' over white glowing eyes. It's maw was unique, a single row of teeth in the middle that when the wyrm opens and closes acted like a pair of serrated shears. From the throat down, the underside scales were a sooty black, with a small thin line of scales in silver separating the larger plating scales in that deep blue. Along the spine a row of plates that strangely look like shoulder pauldrons stacked neatly on top of one another. Another row of thin silvery scales from behind the head down only where the base of the 'neck' hinted at something unique about this particular wyrm. Though, strange as well with this beast was what Ghost thought to be a pair of thin horns behind the eyes turned out to move independently, like antennae.

The wyrm lets out a deep, rumbling sound, wobbling in its throat at the sight of Ghost, completely focused on the tiny vessel. By the looks of it, the beast was only half the size to that of the remains of the Pale Wyrm, but even with only half size in width, it was still impressively long. Even with all that was gazed upon, something about this creature felt familiar to Ghost. Had they seen this beast before? If they had, there was no time to recall the previous encounter.

Not with those scissor wedge jaws aimed straight at them.

Ghost narrowly dodges out of the way as the great maw comes crashing in, taking a bite of rock with it. The wyrm rears up, roars out before spitting out the mouthful. Now it was obvious why there was a lack of aspids and why the wyrm was making such a racket; it was hungry.

Pulling out their nail, the knight was ready for combat if they must. Not ideal, considering the events earlier they had to endure to get to this moment of time. They dash forward, leaping up till their feet land on top of the back of the wyrm and proceed to pogo stick their nail against the beast. The pure nail barely makes a scratch on the plating, but when it stabs into the soft skin between two large scales does the wyrm rear back with a screech. 

Whipping its head around, the wyrm snarls before trying to snap at Ghost mid-air, only to receive a quick smack to the snort with that nail. Falling to the ground, the knight would have to come up with something fast. They roll out of the way, jaws crashing down to try to grab them only to get another mouthful of ash, dirt, and rock. The wyrm spits it out, shaking its head with another one of those echoing thrumming roars. It's then that line of silver scales along the sides of the neck stretch out, revealing to be a hood, making the wyrm appear bigger than what it really was all silver in color like a segmented shield. As it seems, there wasn't much Ghost could do against a godly beast such as a...

Jaws come back down, desperate in attacking. It was a spur of the moment, something Ghost had to focus on as a last ditch effort to prevent taking on some very big desperate measures. Void given focus, sure... void against wyrm powers, not so much. The vessel waits till those jaws were just close enough and the second they were, they look up into that gullet.

A flash of white soul mixed with void burst upwards, Ghost releasing an Abyss Shriek. The spell did the trick, forcing the wyrm back with a pained screech, all the while shaking their head several times, forcing the hood to relax back down against its neck. It snorts out a few times, blinking as if coming to their senses and the moment it looks down at the panicked little Ghost, there's a moment of recollection in those glowing white eyes.

The wyrm calls out, a desperate, almost pleading call, repeating it twice. Believing to have the upper hand, Ghost rushes forward, nail in hand. Instead of attacking back, the wyrm yelps again, wiggling away, all the while still making those pleading calls. The vessel stops, noting the strange sudden shift in behavior. It was almost as if the wyrm was... talking to them. Or at least, try to talk to them. Yet all Ghost could hear was its echoing calls and roars. They stand still, trying to figure out if this was a trick, a way for the wyrm to get the upper hand and then devour poor Ghost. Something catches the knight's attention and it changes everything.

A familiar scar across the left side of the wyrm's upper belly. 

It cut through the black underscales, lightly in grayish white but there was no mistaking the scar looking exactly like...

Ghost looks up and rushes for the wyrm, who immediately yelps again, backing away. This time, it wouldn't be the bite of a pure nail against skin and plating. The handle they now wield turns into a bright purple hue, extending a blade of light energy. With focus, they slash the Dreamnail across the side of the beast and at last the mystery was solved.

" _...Pale Thing Stop! It's me! Tiso! Please stop! I'm sorry!_ "

Immediately Ghost steps back, staring up at the wyrm's face. No... no it couldn't be! Yet the evidence was clear, the colors of the wyrm to the now obvious ant antenna left over to the very much identical scar, there was no doubt at all this was the fool all along! What did the Snail Shaman's potion do!? It was suppose to be some sort of potion of strength, not something to change the user into basically a god! Ghost takes a moment to compose themselves and in the meantime, the wyrm.. or should they say, Tiso, grabs something in the middle of their coiled tail, holding it tentatively in the edges of their jaws to show to the little wanderer. It was Tiso's shield and at the reveal, Tiso makes a sort of bubbly gurgle sound, setting the shield at Ghost's feet. 

Again, Ghost reveals the Dreamnail and strikes at Tiso again, hearing his thoughts.

" _Look here! It's my shield! Come on Squib, you gotta recognize it's me..AH! What are you doing with that thing!?_ "

Ghost looks up, staring at Tiso in the eyes. Slowly, tiny hands reach up, patting the giant belly plating, still focused on those eyes. At once, Tiso leans his head back, as if the realization finally connected and he cranes his neck downward. Gentle gurgles escape his throat and Ghost reveals the Dreamnail again, slashing across Tiso with no pain, just the tingling sensation of someone reading his thoughts.

" _Wait! You can understand me with that thing!? Pale Thing, you gotta change me back! I wanted to get stronger, not become a monster!_ " Tiso's translated words pleaded.

He lays his head down, trying to show he wasn't a threat anymore towards the little vessel. There's a pause from Ghost, tilting their head slightly before rushing up to him. Tiso braced for the bite of a nail, thinking to himself that maybe he was mistaken and the knight couldn't understand him and was going to instead, finish the job. Great, he nearly died a fool, now he was going to die as some giant beast. What he gets instead, is a deep hug to the side of his face, something he wasn't expecting.

Ghost silently hugged the changed wyrm's cheek, more than happy to see Tiso was okay and alive. Though the new form was... strange to say the least. As Ghost reaches to gently pet a cheek scale, they seek deeper in. Just how much of Tiso was left or had he, like them, become ascended into something more? Would that mean Tiso could become king? Oh what a terrible thought, he was no king material certainly. They search deeper, feeling out anything new beyond the physical appearance. Yet as Ghost searched, they felt nothing. No hint of wyrm magic coursing through Tiso's veins, no indication of great powers or abilities. Just a giant serpentine beast with a hunger to boot. 

Tiso felt a lump in his throat and forces it back down, taking in a deep breath to try to prevent himself from getting to worked up. Warriors don't cry and they certainly don't let mushy, feels really nice, goodie moments get the better of them! He felt that lump return, unable to push back the fact this little pale thing cared about him enough to not put a nail through him, despite the thicker natural armor now adorn all over himself.

" _Hey Squib, if you can hear me... go get me that dumb snail! He did this to me as some cruel joke! You gotta get that old shell head to fix me! I can't fight in the trials like this! What would God Tamer think of me!?_ " He pleads, his voice nothing more than garbling growls and hisses.

His stomach also growls out to add to the conversation, souring in a twisting knot. Tiso groans out, flinching as he could not exactly hold his stomach at the pain. Maybe he shouldn't have eaten all those aspids in such a rapid session. Thankfully for his own stupid sake, Ghost looks up in understanding. They pat his cheek a few times before pointing back up to the ledge they once were on, indicating they wanted back up there. Well, he guess he could offer a lift at the very least if it meant the knight would go get the shaman to fix this problem. So with a nod, Tiso moves in slightly more, feeling Ghost hop on top of his now elongated wedge snout.

Carefully, he raises his head, Ghost holding on tightly till at last they reached the edge of the cliff platform. Tiso dips his head down, allowing his tiny passenger to slide off.

" _Hurry as fast as you can!_ " He hisses, trying to not let his stomach do the talking right now. 

The vessel looks back to Tiso, and with one hand points downwards. Stay put. With that, they return to make their climb back up. They needed help alright, but before they would ask for the Snail Shaman's aide, that grumble from Tiso's stomach set a new course for Ghost. A path to seek out a way to quell his newfound wyrm's appetite. 

They needed the aide of a hunter and who better to know anything of wyrm diets than the daughter of Hallownest herself, Hornet. She would be right where they last saw her... back in Greenpath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So pretty much Tiso's form is take one part Wyrm, one part Cobra, and one part Edestus Shark (prehistoric shark also called the Scissor Tooth Shark). Oh what sort of trouble this new wyrm off the string is going to get into!? :3c


	3. Sentinel's Sting

The sweet smell of flowers and welcoming warm air of Greenpath was a much needed sight for Ghost. It was a stark difference from that of the ashen landscapes and almost winter like appearance from the Kingdom's Edge, but the small vessel wasn't here for mere sightseeing. Nail at the ready, they would cut down any opposition standing in their way.

Thankfully for their sake, the trek through the thicker, less explored parts of the lush green mossy landscape would be met with a lack of the normal assortment of dangerous foes. They stop, pulling out their map. Though complete for the entire kingdom, every inch their tiny feet could take them, the ruined lands still held their secrets, including the location they drew in on their own. A small cubby of sorts, decorated with an icon in the shape of their sister's face. It wasn't far now, just a re-check to ensure they were on the right trail. 

Placing their map away, Ghost continued forward, pausing to spot a wandering Mosscreep sneak through the undergrowth, eyes no longer a pulsating orange from not too long ago. It was, for the most part a welcomed sight. A sign the kingdom was on its way to recover. Healing would take time and time certainly was now on Hallownest's side. For one individual, however, it would be a touch and go to see if what Ghost went through to have this all happen, the... alternate path to break the chains, destroy the Old Light, save the kingdom and most importantly... save someone close.

Straying off the path, listening to the faint rush of acid creek waterfalls, the chirping of wildlife somewhere in the deep foliage, Ghost would find themselves climbing up moss covered boulders, winding around a corner of moss that acted as a veil that once passed through revealed a hidden pathway. They easily follow it, stopping only once to spot a few small puddles of black inky substance staining a few fat leaves, smeared and left to dry permanently. A sign they were on the right hidden path. Returning their empty gaze forward and spots the glimmer of old white strains of silk stuck to a few roots protruding from some of the rocks and boulders. 

Another small trek through the small path and at last Ghost comes to the hidden burrow. The entrance was covered with some old brown and green sheet, aged and worn down but still enough to camouflage the dwelling inside. The vessel stares up at the cover and without a second thought, enter in. The sheet creates a heavy damp flap behind them and they stare forward at this one room dwelling of the huntress, the protector Sentinel of Hallownest, their sister Hornet. A modest dwelling complete with a small campfire for small cooked meals, embers already at work with a kettle on. Nearby would be a single chest, filled with tools and traps not for use now. A tiny workbench composed of a long flat surface rock and held up by two other thicker rocks, half covered with tools and blade sharpeners. In the far back corner, a shelf with some jars for food storage and beside that, a bed and a loop holding an unfinished project. A single old lumafly lamp held up on the ceiling shed the only proper light in this hunter's home.

Yet their eyes honed at the direction of the bed the moment they heard the faint sound of labored wheezing.

Hornet had her back to the little wanderer, one hand occupied with a damp cloth heated by the warm water in a bucket by her feet, reaching over to clean off the last stubborn remains of dried pus and void from the body of something large occupying her bed. A steady, slow wheeze escapes into the air and she responds with the cloth dunking back into the bucket, wrung out before dabbing on the wounds she hadn't had time to properly seal back up. A pair of giant white horns nearly as big as she was tall could easily threaten to ram into her, but the owner of those horns with the distinctive three tip prongs and crack along one side of the face, it was safe to say she was in no danger. Not now at least.

The Hollow Knight, freed from their confinements and brought here to recover, made no movement or indication of acknowledgement as Ghost approached to stand alongside their sister, watching silently as she continues in cleaning off any remains of infection off their abused and weaken body. The constant strained wheezing, the only sound they ever hoped to make from their labored breaths, had a sort of metronome timing to it. Ghost leans in closer in time for Hornet to begin dressing the wound on their side facing upwards.

A ghastly sight, where infection had apparently started bubbling in massive cysts, having eaten away at one of their arms, taken away to rot off. It was horrible as she finishes wrapping the silk bandages around their thorax and shoulder down to the stump that all that remains. Her hands became suddenly gentle, easing the stump upwards while her tiny claws avoided pressing into the crude stitch work she performed to stop the steady flow of void drained away from the chosen vessel till nothing was left but a husk. Another series of wheezes, the rhythm still in time and Hornet finally acknowledges the smaller vessel's presence.

"Little Ghost? You've returned I see. Did you bring back any supplies from the city as I requested?" She asks, voice hushed while completing the wrappings, taking some pins to secure the bandages in place around the stump. 

Ghost stares up at her, and after half a minute they slowly look down at their sibling, unresponsive say for the consistent wheeze. So, to respond, they reach into their cloak and hand over a single spool of bandages. Something Hornet wasn't exactly pleased but it would have to do for now.

"I see, one meager roll of bandages isn't going to last but maybe two bandage changes. I will have to return to Deepnest and see if there might be any medical supplies I am not aware of." She explains, taking the spool and immediately unravels a section. 

With her chelicerae, she bites off the length of bandage and proceeds to lean in over the Hollow Knight, carefully placing the start just above their right eye, wrapping it over it and around to start covering the crack upon their mask. Ghost watches on, and after the third pass of bandage, they reach up, tugging on her cloak to grab the huntress's attention. Upon gaining it, they point to her handiwork. 

With a short sigh, she stares down at her other sibling, shoulders slumped at what she would have to tell the knight.

"They've lost vision in one their eyes. I do not think it can be fixed. I still don't know what you did or how you were able to lift the plague from these lands without confrontation against your predecessor inside the Black Egg, but you have my thanks Little Ghost. Our... sibling would not be here if it wasn't for your actions, or absence from my eyes to say the least." She explains, finishing the last endings of bandage before her hands move away yet her eyes remain glued the bigger vessel, unable to find a way on her modest bed that would prevent them from this constant wheezing. 

"Though I am unsure if they can last the night. The infection they held within themselves has eaten away a grievous amount from the inside out. I can only do so much with the skills I possess Little Ghost. The rest will be up to them if they wish to seek life moreso than..." 

Another tug at her cloak. 

Hornet looks back, noting a sort of... determination in the smaller sibling's otherwise empty eyes. They stare back at her, then tug again and with a free hand, point towards the entrance while ignoring beside the doorway her needle and the Hollow Knight's longnail. 

"No Ghost, I can not leave them alone. They still need my aid." She states, only to get a stronger tug this time.

"I said no! What exactly are you trying to convey that is more important than insuring the survivability of our remaining kin?"

Ghost waits before pulling out their map, showing it to Hornet along the edge of the bed, avoiding Hollow's curled up legs. They tap a hand to Kingdom's Edge, glancing up to Hornet. She tenses up, a dozen thoughts running through her mind and none of them good. Before she can get a word in, Ghost points on the map the scribbled drawing of the colosseum only to drag their tiny finger downwards towards the bottom of the area, close to the entrance that would lead to the old remains of the Pale Wyrm, the Cast-off Shell.

"The way to the remains is currently blocked by ashen molt Little Ghost. It serves no more purpose for you from what you have already obtained deep within. Let the corpse remain where it is and continue to fade into the past, where it belongs."

Another shake of the small wanderer's head and again, they repeat the process, only this time they take their hand making an 'x' motion over the area the great beast's corpse remained. Hornet studied the pattern, trying to make sense of it all and then, sometime clicks in her mind to which she hisses under her breath.

"Not again. That _fool_ will never learn!" She sneers yet keeping her voice down for the sake of her ailing sibling's need for rest. Raising her voice would not help them in the slightest.

"I agreed to help you once with that foolish fighter, Tiso, in his recovery. If he has critically injured himself yet again, I will not expend what remaining resources we have on his idiocy that properly deserve towards our sibling."

This was getting frustrating! Ghost suddenly puffs out their tiny chest, looking up to their sister before they point at the map again. No, no they had to calm down. There was no need to let things get out of hand. That's already happened much earlier, something Ghost did not want to reflect on nor does it bear repeating. Not like this small dwelling could fit them if it happens and likely either crush everything and everyone inside or the cavern just falls apart.

"Alright, alright! No need for a tantrum. Ghost, slow down and try to explain to me what you are trying to convey."

Ghost looks back at the map. Hornet got the idea that they wanted her at Kingdom's Edge, and that Tiso was indeed there, but how do you tell her without words how the moron tried to cheat his way to become a champion fool and paid a literal _huge_ price for it? So now, they point to the colosseum, looking back at Hornet. Then, slowly, they trace their trail descending downwards, stopping before the entrance that would of led to that clearing where Hornet tested them one last time and beyond that the great wyrm corpse. There they tap twice before dragging their tiny hand back and near the bottom of the Kingdom's Edge. They turn back to Hornet, their empty gaze revealing nothing but the darkness of Void. Would she understand now?

"I must say, Little Ghost, that I still have a hard time grasping what you are trying to say. Let me at least ask questions to narrow it down." She answers, and Ghost nods to the idea.

"Is the fighter, Tiso, there?"

Nod.

"Is he dead?"

A head shake.

"Is he trapped there with no means out?"

Ghost placed a paw to their mask, thinking it over before returning to meet her gaze and nods.

"Ah, of course, great. Of course he would be stuck. Now, answer me this... is the remains of the king's former life have something to do with Tiso?"

Now that got a heavy series of nods, Ghost reaching up to tug at Hornet's cloak again, as if to say 'Yes! Yes! Hurry now!' This, Hornet greets with a groan and finally stands up. Images of a injured Tiso somehow near the corpse, possibly trying to raid it for rare resources or just use its gaping maw as a punching bag only to have one of the wyrm's spire teeth fall on top of him. The nerve of that bug to disturb such a sacred resting place! Not that Hornet would be that upset or anything, attached to it despite it being nothing more than the shed former, more bestial life of the pale monarch. It was her duty to protect the ruins of the kingdom, and that included her father's corpse.

"If I go with you, promise me we'll make this brief?! That fool better be alive and if not than he deserves to be buried in ash molt and bodies of others like him trying to seize a glory not worth taking?"

A nod and Ghost rolls up their map, tucking it back inside their cloak and already skipping for the doorway. They turn back, waiting patiently as Hornet lets out a defeated sigh and turns to the Hollow Knight. Their wheezing had soften and slowed down. Were they finally resting or the pain of the extent of their injuries finally subsiding? Hornet reaches over, taking into her hands a few layers of patchwork quilts of her making using scavenged fabrics throughout the kingdom over the years of stasis. She wraps them around the older sibling's body, gentle in making sure they were comfortable underneath. Do vessels really need blankets for their bodies always felt cold to the touch. Well, so did the king but rarely did he allow Hornet in her much, much younger days to dare place a claw on the monarch without good reason. Best she had gotten was the end of his tail (which looked nothing bug-like say for the plating shell on top while the below... scales? She couldn't recall, he never really revealed his body past the robes anyways to her so why would it matter now?)

"Hollow Knight? Hollow?" Hornet whispers, unsure if they were listening.

"I must depart for now, but know that I am not abandoning you. Our little sibling has a friend in trouble and have asked me to help them. I promise I will not be long. Rest, I shall provide you some sustenance if you are in need of some, as meager as I am able to provide. Do not worry for us." 

The huntress reaches out, her fingers brushing up against the now gleaming white polished horn closest to her. They made no movement, nothing to show for the action. Instead their wheezing picks up. Feeling they were doing all they could, Hornet leaves her sibling, turning her attention to her food stores. A minute or two of searching and she would return to Hollow's side, kicking the stool she had been sitting on the whole time closer to the edge of the bed. She places down a humble wooden plate on the stood, half covered in bright red berries and a piece of jerky on the other. With just enough room, she places a glass of water. Something for the vessel to have if they wake up hungry and thirsty.

With her tasks looking finished, Hornet approaches Ghost, reaching out to grasp her needle, holstering it behind her. An exchange of glances, and the smaller vessel nods, leading Hornet out.

"For your sake, Ghost... do not expect me to not desire to plunge my needle into that moron if I find he has ruined a sacred grave to this kingdom!"

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hornet gazes up the moment ash fell on her horns, causing her to shake her head side to side. It felt colder now, something she immediately took notice towards as the ash was neither warm or cold to the touch in her days guarding this particular area. Before her, she ignores the drums and cheers of the colosseum in the distance, choosing instead to keep following behind Ghost as they lead her further down.

Hopping off the ledge, she easily could outrun Ghost to the bottom, but that ran with the issue of where Tiso could be. Maybe he wasn't exactly straight down and instead was hanging off a ledge near? It wouldn't be the last time Ghost brought her to his sorry body on one such ledge, yet as they continued it seemed like the fool was no where to be seen. So she stops at one platform, refusing to go any further.

"Ghost, where exactly is Tiso?! Is he at the bottom or hanging off one of the ledges, repeating the same mistake as last time?" Shed demands, twitching her head to shake off some ash that felt nearly as cold as her sibling's touch.

Pausing by the edge of the platform, Ghost peers down, trying to find Tiso's form in the fog. So far everything looked the same. Was he even still here? Ghost did try to get him to understand they wanted him to stay put, but he was a bit... moody. Maybe he was looking for more Great Hoppers to devour? Still looking down, Hornet approaches from behind, taking a quick glance and once she deems nothing was there, she backs away.

"I don't see him and I am in no mood to go on a wild grub chase. Either he is here or he's managed to crawl his foolish shell back into the arena to test his stupidity." She complains. "Hollow's condition is far more important than seeking out a bug who would rather lick his own wounds than accept my help again."

Ghost stares at her then approaches only to bend down to pick up a rock. Hornet watches, mildly curious why the vessel would suddenly be interested in rocks? They glance back to her for a moment more only to approach the edge of the platform. Only one way to find out if Tiso was still down below. Ghost flips the rock in their hand and by the third flip they toss it hard below. 

"Very cute Ghost, you can throw rocks into the air. I think we're done here. If you see Tiso again, alive or dead you let him know he lost his chance to be sa-" 

Hornet gasps, her statement cut off the moment they hear a great strange bellowing roar from below. Out of instinct she grabs her needle, unfamiliar to what sort of bug or beast could make a sound so alien, so ethereal even. Her eyes dart around, trying to find the source of the noise but the echoes bouncing off the rocky cliff sides prevented her from pinpointing the danger. Ghost seemed oblivious to the danger approaching, standing as they were at the edge looking down. Something... started to rise from the fog. 

A great shadow shape looms about the two, white eyes glowing from the long serpentine form. From the shadow, a deep grumble vibrates the very air, making Hornet all but tense up. This was no ordinary beast, far from it and the moment it slowly leans in, she could not help herself.

The needle is thrown, and sinks into the 'nose' of the behemoth to which it rears back, shrieking in pain. 

Ghost looks back, and despite lacking the ability to show any emotion, their posture read one as shock and surprise. No, this was not what they wanted! They had to stop Hornet from making things worst! Except now the poor girl was hanging for her life as the thread connected to her needle suddenly yanks her off the platform, taking her for a ride while being jostled around by one very angry, very hungry, now obviously... a wyrm.

"Ahh! Ghost do something!" Hornet cries out, only to feel her body fling into the air and comes crashing down in top of the wyrm's muzzle. There she was met with a large white glowing eye surrounded in black scales and plating that mimicked a 'mask' with the rest of in that dark blue coloration.

The wyrm's eye focuses solely on her, letting out a very angry growl, mouth opening to reveal those razor sharp scissor teeth. It was completely ignoring Ghost frantically waving, trying to get both their attention. For the wyrm, it snarls and jerks Hornet off and up into the air. She lets out a scream, disoriented after staring at that white eye in disbelief that the vessel found a wyrm, a live wyrm! What could this mean for the kingdom of Hallownest? More ruin, a new ruler, or looking for a quick meal. That meal... being her.

The wyrm's head was tilted upward, jaws held open as wide as it could, intending to swallow the Sentinel in one easy gulp. 

Reacting, Hornet reaches into her cloak pulling out a few of her spiked traps. Activating one, she throws it first into the wyrm's mouth, pegging it into its palate. The beast shrieks again, moving its head just enough for Hornet to avoid her end as wyrm lunch. Now Hornet yanks on her thread, ripping the needle out from the beast's muzzle and goes in for the attack. She swipes her needle along its face, the blade barely creating a line not even breaking through the tough scales. In response, the great beast hisses out, still suffering from the barbed trap stuck in its mouth. 

Hornet leaps into the air, aiming to dive into the beast's face. Of course, mentally she knew winning against a living wyrm was a wasted effort. These creatures were Higher Beings, Gods basically. What's a mortal bug like her to be able to win against a battle against a god? Even with the Pale King's blood in her veins, a wyrm himself once upon a time, was she a match for the real thing?

Something moves into the air, and just before Hornet can make contact with her needle and possibly gauge out the wyrm's right eye all the while the wyrm trying to snap back at her, the two of them are blasted back by a force of energy comprised of Soul and Void. She falls backwards, flipping around to land on her feet back on the platform. Refocusing her attention, she spots Ghost now hugging onto the wyrm's wedge shaped muzzle, holding on for dear life as it thrashes back and forth, still shrieking from pain.

"Ghost! Get off, it's far too dangerous! Ghost!" She calls out, only to watch in fear as the small vessel is shaken off, the wyrm's jaws snap close.... 

It Hornet's shock, the great god beast opens their mouth again, letting out a quick yelp of pain. Slowly it moves towards Hornet, who swings her needle in front of her. 

"Back! I demand you to stay back!" She shouts, fighting back tears from her face. No, no time to mourn the loss of her...

The wyrm rests their chin to the edge of the platform, ignoring Hornet as it opens that great maw... and there standing clear of the teeth, was Ghost, holding Hornet's spike trap in their tiny hands. They hop out, completely unharmed before turning around and pat the wyrm's chin, allowing it to close its jaws closed. Now that Hornet got a good look at the beast, something felt strangely familiar with this being. It even lets out a more pitiful sounding grumble, not even putting up a fight. Hornet examines the features of the wyrm, trying to pin-point why this being felt like she knew it. Wait, were those... antennae and not horns!? Antennae belonging... to an ant!? Her eyes trail down the black belly scales, spotting the familiar scar that ran down in a iconic pattern to one individual bug.

"Wait... no, it can't be! Im-impossible" She calls out. 

"Tiso!?"

Immediately, the wyrm perks up, antennae up to attention as those white eyes stare down on her. For Hornet, her body felt like it was struck with ice, sending a wicked chill up and down her back. No, this had to be some fever dream. She had to be still trapped in the Temple of the Black Egg, that her siblings were in fact actually dead. How in the Pale Wyrm's name did Tiso, of all bugs that lived in the ruins of Hallownest, somehow get himself in what had to be, the absolute worst situation than near death from failing the colosseum!?

Even Ghost nods, solidifying her disbelief into fact. Tiso had transformed into a wyrm. How was she going to fix this massive problem now!? First her sibling, the Hollow Knight, was freed from their entrapment and struggling to stay alive and now one of Ghost's 'friends' had become a god. What's next, that the so called 'Knight of Great Renown' Zote was in fact telling the truth all along and he was faking being weak to avoid getting unscathed!?

"Tiso, if that's.. I can't believe I'm saying this, if that's really you... What in my mother's name have YOU gotten yourself into!? You've become a WYRM!" She shouts.

In a reaction, the wyrm, now found to be Tiso all along suddenly puffs up his chest, almost looking smug. The strange grumbling growl returns, as if trying to communicate with her. He turns to his left, lifting the end of his tail and to show off, smacks it against some boulders embedded in the side of a wall, easily knocking them out with a thunderous boom. He gurgles out, and immediately Hornet can make out the sound and readies her needle again.

"That's not funny! Stop laughing!" She shouts, now clearly upset.

"I can't believe it and yet here you are, taking on the body of basically a god! You better explain yourself right now!" 

Tiso chuckles out, seeing how flustered Hornet was getting after showing off his new testament of pure strength. After Ghost had left, instead of moping around he discovered just how powerful his new form had become, easily cracking rocks in half with his tail alone. Unfortunately, with testing one's newfound strength, there also came at the cost of becoming quiet hungry again and well... Kingdom's Edge wouldn't have to worry about Primal Aspids or most of the Great Hoppers anymore. That left him with also an unfortunate soul belly ache from the aspids leaving the former fighter to curl up and try to sleep off the gut twister only to be awoken by a rock falling on his head and a unsated hunger to slip back into those feral wyrm instincts again that he didn't recognize Hornet at first till her spike trap to the inside of his mouth snapped him to his senses.

" _Ha! You better believe it! Look at me! I'm practically the strongest over the colosseum! No, the whole kingdom! Ha ha! Just imagine Tamer's face when she gets a load of me now! Being this giant... noodle thing isn't as bad as I first thought!_ " Tiso boasts, looking very proud. Unfortunately for him, all Hornet would hear is the bestial rumbles, growls, hisses, and warbles of a feral creature.

Hornet watches him only to turn to Ghost. "Please tell me you understood any of that noise? Can Tiso... not speak?"

" _Speak!? Aw crud that's right... Hey Squib! Use that shiny thing you used on me to hear what I'm saying!_ "

Ghost glances back and forth between the two, noting the lack of understanding. So from their cloak, they hold up the Dreamnail and present it to Hornet. She stares at it, unsure if it was her right to take it. She had seen the vessel use it a few times, including on her. There was no pain like a typical nail, but a strange sensation as if her thoughts were listened in on. Was that the reason why Ghost went with the path they took to be able to free Hollow instead of combating them till the bitter end and take in the infection and its source alone?

"Am I allowed to use this Little Ghost? What am I to do with this?" She asks.

To prove to her its use, Ghost turns back to Tiso who leans his head down further, eyeing the small shiny device. As they pull back, the handle glows showing that shiny, almost ghostly looking 'blade'. Maybe that was his cue to say something?

" _Hey! Pale thing, wave at me so I know you can hear me!_ "

The 'blade' slashes across him, feeling the strange tingling sensation in his mind. Ghost lowers the Dreamnail, looking up at him. There's a slight pause and then one small hand reaches up and waves. Tiso breathes out a sigh of relief, so that glowy nail thing still worked. What he wasn't expecting was feel it a second time so soon. He sucks in a quick breath of surprise, only to look down to see Hornet now holding the strange nail handle. She stares up, shock clear as day on her face.

"Ti-Tiso!? I, I can hear you!" She calls out. "Speak again and this ethereal blade will translate what you are trying to say. Keep it brief!"

" _Wow, demanding ain't we Princess? Anyways, yeah check me out! I'm so strong now no one would dare challenge me in the colosseum!_ " 

Another swipe of the Dreamnail and Hornet's demeanor only gets even more defensive, nearly dropping the handle in favor of grabbing her needle again.

"Demanding?! Oh when I am done with you Tiso, you'll think twice about those choice of words! Now, before we go about again with me about to carve your new face in half, how did you change forms? Is this some form of magic by your own doing or did some Higher Being granted you the form of a god!?"

" _Okay, okay. No need to get all flustered up. I just happened to find a much more easier way for me to become the next champion of the colosseum and what better than taking the form of a wyrm!? There's no way Tamer can beat me now, I gotta thank that crazy shell-head shaman for his help! Didn't think I'd like the new look but it's grown on me. Haha! Get it? Because I-_ "

"Snail Shaman?! Of course, I should have known. One of the few Hallownest residents with knowledge of such ancient magics. Very well then, Tiso you are to remain here and stay put! Under no circumstances are you to leave this area until we get back with the shaman to change you back to normal. You've already disturbed your fellow fools up above, I will not have the entire kingdom go up in panic at the word of a living 'wyrm' here or have high expectations you are to become the next 'king' which I FORBID!"

Tiso shrinks away at the shout, by the Higher Gods she wasn't kidding around. He turns his attention to Ghost, who stares up at Tiso with that blank expression and merely shrugs. Something they were use seeing from Hornet time to time when she was at her breaking point level of patience, especially from any of the colosseum fools. 

" _Okay, okay! Bring the crazy hermit over here and see if he can 'fix' me. But hurry up! I feel like I haven't eaten in over a week and I think I just cleared the local population of whatever flies or hops around down here._ " Tiso responds shortly before Hornet swipes the Dreamnail again on him.

"Then eat the corpses of the fallen. They will not need their bodies anymore." Hornet flatly states, unamused at Tiso's whine for food. Yet in secret she knew that was a bad sign with how voracious wyrm appetites were. Considering Tiso's size compared to her father's corpse, Tiso was practically a large adolescent wyrm in comparison. Still has a belly big enough to be filled and then some.

Tiso snorts at the idea of devouring the bodies of fallen warriors. In fact the entire time he had been changed, not once had he considered catching some of the falling bodies that fell from the back end of the colosseum. Perhaps it reminded to much of himself, how he was tossed out like rubbish, barely clinging to life. It just didn't seem right for him as a great bestial being to so much as to degrade himself by eating the dead of those who wished for glory like him. 

"Fine... I'll hunt you something but you better be grateful I'm sticking my neck out again for you when I have more important duties to attend to! Stay here!" Hornet turns her attention back to Ghost. "Come then, we need to locate that shaman and convince him to turn Tiso back to normal before his hunger empties out Hallownest of any viable food sources the survivors desperately need."

Hornet hands Ghost back the Dreamnail and grabs her needle with one hand, and Ghost with the other. 

"We'll be back as soon as we can Tiso. Stay put and don't eat anything you'll regret!" She warns, getting a small roll of eyes from the wyrm as she throws her needle, sending both Hornet and Ghost back up and on their way to get to the solution to this massive problem once and for all.

As Tiso watches them head off, he snorts again, grumbling to himself how he was being treated like some mis-behaving grub! He was practically a god now right? So could that mean... He turns his attention to the shelled remains of some giant bug long ago now embedded in the rock wall. From what little he could gather from memory of the great worldly beasts was their powers that came from breathing out some form of elemental. The Pale Wyrm could shoot cold white beams of light from its maw, the legend of Blackwyrm speaks of it being a plasma lightning breather... so what was his ability? 

Taking a deep breath, focusing on calling forth what powerful magic might dwell inside him, Tiso could feel something bubbling up. He heaves out, aiming for the giant fossil. Instead, he gets a large wad of stomach acid to be belched out, to which burns on a section of tail. He tenses up, feeling the sensation and can't hold back anymore before letting out a bellowing roar of pain. It's so strong, that rocks begin to shake loose and once again reaches the colosseum above. His tail flails about, knocking off more boulders, rumbling echos upward to the arena.

Which, was not so great timing on Tiso's part, for God Tamer steps back out from the entrance, weapon resting on her shoulder and a look of determination on her face before slamming the visor down on her helmet.

"Hour's up, little warrior. Time for me to investigate what's down there once and for all..."


	4. You're Mine

"Oh hoho! Look who has come to finally pay a visit but the Daughter of Hallownest herself!"

Hornet tenses up, her eyes sharply focused upon the Snail Shaman finding it unsure if he was mocking her title or just the way he was. The trip from the Kingdom's Edge to the Ancestral Mounds had already gotten her in a tangle of questions and attempts to answer them herself. Why now? She should back in her hunting burrow, tending to the Hollow Knight and making sure they didn't succumb to their injuries making Ghost's efforts to save them pointless. Her fingers flex absentmindedly, as if eager to grab her needle and point its sharpen end at the shaman's face while demanding for explanations. That was the old her, the one ready to fight at a breath's notice. 

"I did not come here to chew the fat with you shaman, I am in need of some answers. Answers in particular to the results of my sibling's friend which the cause crawls right back to you." She responds, her thorax pushed out, eyes still locked on the snail as if ready to allow the predatory natural of her lineage take over and strike. 

The shaman merely stares at her, before letting out a long chuckle of amusement. Ghost glances to Hornet, making sure she wouldn't take this as some kind of mockery or threat. They watch her hands flex into tight fists but that was all she responds with. Maybe it was a good thing she was trying her hardest not to react first then ask questions later. So the knight reaches over tentatively, patting their small hand on one of her fists to get her to calm down. Hornet takes a quick glance towards her sibling and lets out a small sigh. No use getting worked up over someone like the Snail Shaman.

"I see, so my potion worked as it should have! The warrior should be very pleased with the results and should be able to take on his end goals, ohhoho!" He responds, shaking his staff slightly to rattle the old remains of some bug used for his magical rituals.

"Pleased? Shaman that potion did not work as intended! It turned the fool into an ancient being that could easily wipe all of Hallownest!"

"Ahh, don't be so sure about that."

Hornet pauses, trying not to let her temper rise but it was hard enough with how cryptic some kingdom residents could be. Her hands flex again, forming fists till one is raised as if readied to punch the snail in the shell.

"Then explain to me and my sibling this... what was it suppose to do?!"

The shaman turns his attention to Ghost, able to see past the blank expression to see some form of worry in the vessel. With another shake of his staff he clears his throat, allowing the two the explanation they needed to hear.

"Your friend took with him a potion of strength. Once consumed, it will summon forth the strength of the strongest creature closest to them and use it to their own. He seeks to become a champion by absorbing the strength of the previous one. Instead, the magic within the potion drew forth something far more stronger than a mere warrior bug with the title he seeks. Yes, I can sense he has taken on a wyrm form, but fear not! Kingdom destroying, I am happy to say will not be in his cards. He only took the form and strength of a wyrm, not the magic such great beings possess. So there is no real threat from him other than a beastly size... and appetite."

"I see, is there any way to reverse the effects or is he doomed to this new form forever!?" Hornet demands, growing frustrated at all this. If Tiso stays as a wyrm, sure he has the size and bodily strength to back him up, but if any real wyrms still existed in the world then Tiso would easily become a meal or worse with the real Higher Beings possessing some form of magic to aid in their existence. They certainly would not take kindly to an impostor of their kind.

"Indeed there is as all forms of magic has, ohohoho! All your warrior friend needs to do is complete the task of which he has set his goals by becoming champion of the tournament. Once he defeats the existing champion, only then will the spell wear off and he'll return to normal as if he never became the great wyrm to start with."

Of course it would have to come to defeating the champion of the coliseum to return to normal. Hornet lets out a tired huff, failing to notice Ghost's sudden realization and looks back up to her, their eyes stating nothing but the continual emptiness behind them. Was it worry of some sort from the vessel? Doubt? Whatever the case, they continue to gaze up at Hornet as if waiting for her to make a decision.

"I shall let him know of this then. For your sake and all of Hallownest's sake, pray it will be an easy victory for the fool so he may return to his normal state." Hornet concludes, trying to remain calm best she could without wanting to lash out in some form or manner. "I can't afford what remains of the kingdom to further collapse past ruin due to his idiocy to taking to liking his form too much or the risk of him failing in his reaching his goals. Thank you, Snail Shaman. I think we're done here."

Ghost's attention now turns towards the exit, staring silently into the darkness. Something on the other side was moving, closing in at a sluggish weak pace. The faint scraping of metal on rock plink against the cavern walls, tapping in time. Within moments they would see the shadow along the wall, the tall form haggard over, using something to prop up against. They make eye contact with the figure, standing still as if contemplating on their next move.

"Ohohoho! Perhaps not quite young Sentinel! It seems we have another guest though one looking to be in need of aid." The shaman points out, using the end of his staff to direct Hornet's attention. She whips around, a hand grasping the handle of her needle while her cloak waves with her movement. 

All of this quickly changes the moment the figure comes into view.

"Hollow!"

Hornet panics, rushing over to the larger vessel's side. Somehow they had managed to get themselves out from bed and followed behind their sister. With their remaining arm, they clutched at their longnail, using it as a crutch while leaning against the hilt for support as they struggled to stay standing. The vessel wobbles in place, still greatly weaken with just enough energy to make a few more staggering steps before falling hard on their knees.

Immediately they feel the gentle yet firm grasp of small hands to the edges of their mask, making them gaze upon Hornet's more fearful expression. 

"What are you doing here!? You should be in bed resting and recovering!" She shouts, feeling her heart flutter up into her throat. How did the Hollow Knight manage to get this far when taking them from the temple to her hunting burrow had been an exhausting trial to say the least?

The vessel stares back at her, their head heavy against her hands as they surrender their strength to be held. Dark eyes, feathering with void, seem to remained focus on Hornet and only her. Not even the tiny hands of Ghost were enough to break that focus away. If they had a voice to use, instead of the steady wheezing, whistling sound from themselves, they'd probably would tell Hornet to not worry for them. In any case they were, in fact, worried for her.

"You must go back! You can't follow us around, not with the shape you are in! I'm fine, I can care for myself but you are just inviting yourself to be taken inside past death's door!" She continues to complain, examining the bandages, noting some already starting to stain black with leaking void. 

Hollow remains unmoving, their middle barely moves as the constant wheeze continues to fill in the gaps of otherwise silence when their sister did not speak. Hornet tries to move her hands away, only to feel more weight placed down, Hollow's head heavy as they further relax themselves, eyes glued on her. A heavy metallic thud nearly causes Hornet to jump out of her exoskeleton, making her glance over to see the longnail fall to the ground just so the bigger vessel could free their remaining arm.

A big hand reaches up, claws that could easily cut through if given enough pressure, gently press to the side of her head, thumb stroking side to side on one of her horns. Finally the weight in her own hands lifted, Hollow moving up to give her a better caress. 

"Are you... worried about me that much?" She finally asks. At last there's a faint nod from the chosen vessel and she lets out a deep sigh.

"Well I'm worried for you as well. I lost you once, I wish not to replay those circumstances again." 

Hollow remains still, tender in their touch before finally having to move their hand away, bracing it on the ground to steady their balance. Their cold breath chills Hornet's hands, and slowly she eases away, feeling no resistance from the larger vessel. At last they finally break eye contact, looking to their left to search for their nail. Once back in their hand, it was a slow and agonizing motion to get back on their feet, hand gripping the hilt of their nail to use as a crutch.

"Ah, I see. Duty can not be so easily broken even when the body appears to be battered so. The mark of a true knight of Pale honor, ohohoho!" The Snail Shaman interrupts, approaching Hollow to get a better look at them and the bandaged injures they sported.

"Have you tried taking them to a hot springs? It's not too late to repair what you can. Nothing will be normal again, oh no. Yet I can sense a determination to stay alive dwell deep within this knight."

Ghost glances back to the shaman, shaking their head. No, they hadn't really thought about bringing Hollow to a hot springs. They just happened to find Hornet attempting to half drag, half walk their sibling from the Temple of the Black Egg to her hunting burrow in Greenpath. Maybe the springs should of been the first place to take them? With a soft tug on the Hollow Knight's cloak, they point out the way from the Ancestral Mound, indicating to the shaman's idea of seeking the hot springs to at least help heal Hollow of some of their injuries. The bigger vessel looks out the way they came, single eye peering into the darkness before looking back to their siblings to offer a weak but steady nod.

"Alright Hollow, we'll take you to a hot springs. Afterwards you need to go back to the burrow for Ghost and I have some news to bring to their warrior friend Tiso. He's placed himself in a bit of.. um, a hot mess to say to least. One I no doubt will be quite a challenge to accomplish." Hornet wraps a hand around Hollow's arm, nudging them slightly to follow. She pauses, looking back to the shaman who seemed very amused by the whole scene. "Thank you for the advice, I'll be sure to pass it along to Tiso and let the fool know what he must accomplish to return back to normal."

"Good luck, though I predict it will be greatly tested, ohoh..." The shaman waves the siblings off, watching them stagger back out the entrance, taking their time with Hollow to ensure they are able to make it to their destination.

Unbeknownst to them, bad luck would come first before good for the foolish fighter Tiso...

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Well Tamer... what do you make of it?"

God Tamer peers over the ledge, hunched down with one hand gripping the edge of the platform and the other held up to grasp the hilt of her blade. Her eyes narrowed at what she was witnessing down below. There was hesitation, something she did not take to showing lightly even if she wasn't in battle. Below her, something big, menacing... and a new potential for her. She pushes herself up, not bothering looking back at the couple of warriors behind her even as she slaps her visor back down.

"It's a wyrm."

"Wait, what!? God Tamer are you sure!? You know what sort of destruction one of those legendary beasts could do to us?!" The first fool warrior exclaims, obvious panic in his voice.

God Tamer finally turns back to her small posse, gesturing with her left arm to point downwards.

"See for yourself. The beast's sleeping."

The fools gather at the edge, looking down cautiously. There below, was the coiled form of a dark blue and black wyrm. A faint rumbling sound breaks the silence and after a few repeated patterns, it became clear the beast was snoring soundly. Now and then a section of coil would tremble, shimmer to regain body heat and close in tighter. Sometimes there was a twitch to shake the ashen molt off. Not enough to easily wake the beast. The group of fools jump in their armor the moment the wyrm lets off a heavy snort, blowing clouds of ash into the air before nuzzling its face under a section of coil.

"Gather the others. We're going to need heavy chains. All the chains we have available."

The group turn back, staring up at God Tamer as she rests her weapon upon her shoulders, looking smug. 

"Tamer are you crazy!? That's a wyrm! A Higher Being that could eat us all in one gulp if it gets us! What are you thinking!?" Another fool states, getting a devious laugh from their 'leader'.

"You are as dumb as you are foolish. I am not called 'God Tamer' for taking tea with the old Hallownest Queen and making girly flower crowns! Imagine, to tame a wyrm... it will become the talk of the colosseum. No... the whole kingdom and beyond. Warriors from distant lands will travel far and wide to test their luck against me and the new beast. No one can lay claim to tame a wyrm successfully. So.. what say you lot? Going to run crying to momma or will you do as I say and mark this day as one for all fools to remember!?" She explains, head held high and proud. She had tamed many a beast and creatures surely taken as godly, but a wyrm and one so... foolish as it leave itself so vulnerable here? She'd eat her own helmet off if she allowed herself to miss out on this opportunity of a lifetime.

"AYE!" The group shouts, and proceeded to return back to the colosseum. 

With them gone to gather the supplies, God Tamer turns back to stare down at the sleeping behemoth with a sharp grin behind the visor and slowly lets loose a few devilish chuckles.

"Just you wait, pipsqueak champion... I'll get my title back from you and this god is my ticket to do just that!"

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It had been ten minutes of waiting after Hornet and Ghost left till Tiso finally got bored and attempted snatching more wildlife morsels about. He would seek out every nook and crannie trying to find some wild beast or bug with wrapping his maw around. With his new form, also came an incredible new sense of smell. He inhales deeply, seeking out the trails unseen by the nake eye and follows them one by one till his tongue would taste the catches he manage to find and corner.

The Great Hoppers were bland for the most part, harboring only a faint tingling sensation of acidity. He left the smaller ones alone, not worth a bite if he never even notices them going down his gullet. The Primal Aspids... were horrible. Sickly sweet but their insides often stuck to the roof of his mouth leaving behind a bad acid taste that burns even when swallowing. At times the scent trail led him to a pile of dead fools to which he avoids despite the growing protests in his stomach. Bad enough he was eating food raw and in some cases still alive, Tiso wasn't going to lower himself to eating the bodies of his fallen comrade warriors.

Eventually the area closest to the changed fool would be cleared of hoppers and aspids, leaving him searching for anything he would snack on, even a morsel of real food would do. The search proved fruitless and the moment he tries to stretch his upper half up over a ledge, that his stomach felt as if it was trying to knot itself over and over again. 

"Uggh... I knew I shouldn't have eaten that many aspids..." He groans out, only to lurch forward, feeling his throat burn.

It takes Tiso a great deal to fight back the bile billowing up from a soured stomach, not wanting to spew it all back out and possibly burn his shell... or scales? He wasn't sure what to call them anymore. He tenses up once or twice, heavily breathing till finally his throat stop burning after swallowing back down the bile. Ugh, how horrible. Unable to find any more potential meals, the wyrm finds himself curling up on himself, forming neat perfect coils into a spiral. It felt... comfortable, safe even. Like this was a natural thing to do instead of the idea of balling up with his lengthy body all over the place. 

With a heavy huff, he finds his eyes growing heavy. 

"Hope the squib and their sister can hurry up.. So, tired and hungry..."

Tiso falls asleep relatively easy despite the sour stomach, his new form taking the lack of viable food as time to enter 'sleep' and conserve energy till prey is nearby. 

He dreams mostly nothing. Nothing but darkness that kept in a low hum of ambient nothingness. Then, somewhere in the darkness, he makes out shapes surrounding him. Tiso tries to turn around, seeing more of these elongated shapes barely visible against the constant darkness. They slithered about, minding their own business and completely fade away when one moves away far enough. What were these things? 

As if hearing his mental question, the figures stop, turning to face Tiso and at last the gray shapes reveal eyes... so many eyes. Some with two, some with six, one he counts twelve resting in its head. There's a lull of faint, distant growls, hissing and snarling. They spoke in a language he'd never heard before, something ancient belonging to equally ancient beasts. He tries to speak, only to find no voice, just a garble of sounds similar to the distant ones. They snarl louder, some moving back, others appearing to be biting the very black air. It is when one of them approaches, massive and huge it could only be one such familiar shape; a wyrm of great enormous size and age... an Elder Wyrm.

" _Imposter... Fiend! You are not one of us! Return to your true form! Imposter!_"

'I don't know how!' was all Tiso's mind could think, panic striken by the silhouette of the ancient god. 

The shadows all snarled and hissed, taking this as a threat of some kind. They could hear his thoughts, taste his fears even as he struggled to break free. The Elder Wyrm's shadow narrows all of its eyes, hissing before looming in closer. Despite the darkness, the emptiness and cool feeling of nothing, Tiso swore he could feel a hot breath dripping down his face. 

" _Get him!_ "

At once the shadows all roar, their voices still echoes and distant as if the beasts were thousands of miles apart from one another. Yet, they manage to move in on Tiso, unable to escape. He tenses up, unable to look away as all around the shadows seem to lash onto him, pinning his body down with a strange slight stinging sensation. It felt like teeth laying on top of him, threatening to bite down. He had to do something to escape, something to prevent being eaten alive by these shadows... 

Tiso's eyes snap open, bringing him back to the waking world the moment he feels something akin to a muzzle wrap around him tightly, biting even. He tries to bite, only to feel the same stinging sensation in his maw. It takes the panicked shouts nearby to make him come to his senses. 

Heavy chains wrapped around him, with some formed to create a 'bridle', a section of it inside his mouth. It wasn't just any chains. He recognized the link size, the structure of shape and the lengths... the metal barb attachments were new, but undeniably it was from the colosseum! He roars out, head lifting up to try to shake the chains off him, pulling with him a posse of fool warriors trying to pull his head back down. 

Another roar to shake the nearby caverns and his cry is accompanied by the shouts of bugs. The chains bit down, threatening to cut past shell and scales to bring about even more pain than what he was already feeling. More chain is attached and a group of fools force a tug of war against Tiso, forcing him to lower his head enough for the first group to land on their feet and tug back along.

" _Let go of me! I'm not a wyrm! Stop you guys what the heck are ya all doing to me!?_ " He screeches, his tail slamming against a cavern wall, sending loose boulders down to scatter some of the warriors. His cry would fall on deaf ears, not like anyone could actually hear what he was saying.

"Don't let those chains get loose! Make them tighter if you must! Don't let the beast get away!"

That voice! He knew that voice. His eyes search frantically before falling on the one warrior of the colosseum who would recognize him surely? Pulling against the group of fools, Tiso lets out a roar, trying to bite away at the chain bit in his mouth before he manages to free himself just long enough to call out. She had to know it was him, not what she was looking at on the surface.

" _Tamer! Tamer it's me! Stop this! Come on, what's the matter with you!?_ " His roars echo, unfazing the one bug unmoving from her platform surveying the scene.

God Tamer grins at the sight. What a lively beast for a wyrm. A little smaller than what wyrms were suppose to be as big as but she suspected it to be young. Good, the younger the beast, the better it was for her to tame them, though the older ones gave her a thrill of a challenge. Young, old.. here it didn't matter. A wyrm was no easy creature to tame, her work cut out for her... if she only knew the truth. The moment the beast lunges for her, she leaps into the air, giant blade at her side before landing on top of the wyrm's head. She grabs a section of chain, yanking it hard so the barbs bit tight making the wyrm screech in pain.

A few more shaking attempts, more chain to pin the beast down, barbs pricking between the sections of shell and scales. God Tamer yanks again, sending the poor thing to collapse completely to the ground. She leaps off, turning around to watch the groups of warriors grab for the chains again, pulling hard to keep the beast's head down. 

"I think that's it! We got em' boys! We have ourselves a wyrm to fight with!" One of the fools cheer.

Tiso moans out. How? How could God Tamer just defeat him like that? Chained up like some animal? Why didn't she recognize him like Ghost and Hornet did? He whimpers, white glow eyes trained on her. He wanted to fight back, to prove to her he was stronger now, or at least he thought he was. Surely he could fight and break these chains? So Tiso tries, only to wince at the sharp pain in his belly.

Of course, he was sluggish from eating slightly acidic food and his stomach had fouled enough to keep him from fighting at full strength. This wyrm body of his had only been eating and sleeping, not having experience real fighting outside of the short scuffles with Ghost and Hornet that didn't even deserve to be called proper fights. There was also the painful fact he had left himself out in the open, exposed. He wasn't a fool, he was a gosh darn moron, and now a moron in the form of a being that's suppose to be of great strength and power.

Sucking in a deep breath, Tiso tries to break free one more time, feeling the metal barbs return their unyielding bite against him. He roars out, struggling and flailing against his confines all the while fighting back against the stinging of tears threatening to spill. No, a warrior doesn't cry! Neither do wyrms! The chains pull back, the groups jeering and struggling to bring the beast's head back down.

"Don't slack off, there's plenty of fight left in this adolescent!" Tamer calls out. 

Grabbing a spare length of chains, she swings the end over her head, releasing it for the wyrm's muzzle. It catches, wrapping around until a hook end digs into the top of his muzzle, breaking through the tough armor and sending the wyrm to shriek despite the jaws fully closed now. With three chains on the wyrm's head alone, the fools heave with all their strength and at last the beast finally gives up. 

With a heavy thud sending ash into the air, Tiso moans out, unable to open his mouth at all. It felt like he picked a fight with the bees down in The Hive, in particular their knight. His eyes half-lidded close only to open wide when Tamer approaches, lifting her helmet to reveal the widest smug on her face. The look on her, the way she stared at him... frightened Tiso, unable to coax her to stop.

" _Tamer... please! Tamer it's me! Don't you recognize me? You're favorite fool, Tiso? Please Tamer, you have to know it's me!_ " He whimpers out, his words lost in translation as the weak, scared warbles of a caught beast.

" _Please..._ "

His cheek flinches when God Tamer lays her hand upon it, chuckling to herself at his very weak, and very expected reaction for a creature accepting defeat. She gently pats the section of scale, staring into the glowing white eye now trained on her and only her as the other warrior fools gather to witness the scene play out. She leans in, her voice giving no hint to recognizing that past the wyrm scales and teeth, the size and strength, was just the foolish warrior ant Tiso with eyes begging for mercy.

"I am known here as God Tamer... and you're mine now." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like we have two stubborn big babies who won't do what they're told or know when not to be exposed ;)
> 
> Not so brave are we now Tiso?


	5. Sweet, Tasty Revenge

Chains clank against the ceiling of the large room accompanying the sound of beasts, large and small, caged and chained awaiting for their moment to be summoned forth into gladiatorial combat.

Each creature stranger than the last, some familiar as residents to the kingdom, others captured and brought in from faraway lands. Most seem content to be inside their confines, accepting the world for what it was and it was nothing but a waiting game of life and death for the sake of their master's glory. Some of the beasts recognized hissed and snarled, spitting forth acidic spit that not too long ago had been infection fluid. Among the nashing of teeth and claws, of shell banging against the cage door or sounds that would make any wannabe fighter quiver in their own carapace, the largest cage dug into the wall of the circular cavern came to house the biggest beast of them all.

Tiso could only coil in on himself so much that he felt his scales wanting to break apart. Unlike before where his wyrm body had perfectly formed a spiral of coils and with it a feeling of security, here he was balled up, coils wrapped haphazardly as he was forced into this cage just slightly too small to fit the likes of him. Sections of his serpentine body couldn't stop trembling, eyes wide that dart all over the place from between two coils. He felt more like a ball of string hopelessly tangled so long as he was contained. 

He had been here before, remembering how God Tamer would show off her collection of beasts and creatures great and small as if these beings were something to gawk at. She enjoyed watching the fool try to size up some of her more replaceable 'pets', aspids and loodles she didn't hold much attachment towards, testing Tiso to see if he had what it takes to re-enter the championships. Tiso huffs out, new smells having invaded his nose was not to his liking and tried to press his snout into two layers of coils. It smelt of dung and old lingering traces of infection, sending a sour twist back into his gut. Faintly, he could hear a round of combat playing out above, the crowd of the colosseum cheering on for the next group of warriors to claim their attempt at glory. Glory that should of been his!

The metal chain harness bit into his tongue from pressing into it, making Tiso yelp once before trying to readjust the bit of barbed chain from trying to dig into his tongue any further. 

"This is humiliating..." He growls. Not like anyone would understand his words anyways. 

"So this is where it ends for Tiso... by becoming Tamer's pet 'Noodle beast'. Why can't she recognize me? Squib and their sister did, so why can't God Tamer?" 

His grumbling is interrupted by the sound of the great gated doors opening, revealing a few fool warriors who dare to peak inside to get a glimpse at the captured wyrm. A small lot of five, walking and slinking their way across the open arena till they stood before the captured beast behind bars.

"Would you take a look at that boys! The legends are true as they do tell! A wyrm, alive and breathing and now the colosseum's to tear apart any foes!" A winged fool boasts, one of warriors who helped aided God Tamer in the capture. Here he was, practically hovering up against the bars, banging a fist against metal to get Tiso's attention.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you! What if that thing uses magic on us and turns us to rocks or something?" A sturdy fool points out, staring back into the great cage.

" _Heh, you wish I could. Nah, I'd settle with fire breathing, turn you all into crispy Boofly._ " Tiso growls then tries to hide his head. "Go away."

"Relax, this wyrm's all growl and no bite. I think I heard God Tamer say it's actually real young for its size. Not like.. gigantically huge that it could coil itself around the Crystal Peak mines outside like some ornament or something." The winged fool huffs out before turning to face the caged wyrm.

"Yeah, this one's gonna be real easy to break in for Tamer. Probably gonna be a slice of cake. Hah, if I hadn't known any better, I'd say this one might be a bit of a weakling to allow her to capture it in the first place... or maybe the beast has a soft spot for her..."

The other fools all snickered to each other, the idea of a great god beast fallen head over scales for someone as bold and brazen like Tamer. Tiso lets off one warning growl, opening his mouth to bare those scissor jawed teeth.

"Aw, look it's trying to be all tough in there. I ain't scared of some big, dumb, wyrm!"

In an instant, Tiso manages to uncoil his head and neck, using this moment to lunge forward till his muzzle smashes into the cage bars, releasing a horrible wailing roar. The group collectively jump back, startled by the sudden outburst of anger. Another hiss and gurgle and the wyrm slowly retreats back into his bundle of coils, eyes still glaring at the fools for antagonizing him, only to release a small whimper when his harness bit dug into his tongue and the roof of his mouth again.

The moment of startling passes, and the fools start to relax. So long as the wyrm was caged, it poses no real threat. They stare at it, all the while the great beast stares back at them, white glowing eyes now narrowed as it continues to growl up a bubbly sound, snorting air now and then in warning. 

"Ya... ya think it's strong enough to break those chains? Come on this is a wyrm for fool's sake! It might be a young'in, but even I've heard the myths and legends that even freshly hatched infants were just as deadly as their parents.. if not even hungrier." Another fool whispers, holding his shield close to himself just out of habit of defense.

"What if this one in particular... is defected? You know, like it got kicked out of the nest for not being aggressive enough or even godly enough? I don't know, it's just strange how this creature that every bug worth his weight in geo knows is suppose to be a higher being, a god, to be here of all places and allow itself to be captured so easily without using magic or something powerful to defend itself with. Is it sick? Can gods even get sick?"

The shield fool approaches the cage, looking up and into those glowing white eyes. Something... vaguely familiar about those eyes but he couldn't for the life of him figure out where he might of seen similar eyes. Another deep warbling growl echoes from the cage, to which the fool steps back, giving the beast its space.

"Aw what's the matter? Afraid that thing's gonna come out and squish ya flat? Hahaha!" The winged fool laughs. "I'm not scared of this big, lazy, dumb, wyr-!"

Again, Tiso lunges for the cage bars, rattling them with his belly scales and thrashes about, roaring out and nashing his teeth regardless of the pain from the barbed bridle. 

" _Call me dumb and lazy again! I dare you! I'll crush you to bits soon as I get out of this stupid cage! Go ahead! Call me lazy one more time!_ " His wyrm voice roars out, snarling as he stares down the provoker. 

" _Oww! Geez these stupid bindings can't stay on me forever!_ "

"Okay ya made your point! I'm not risking provoking a godling beast just for a cheap laugh!" One fool, slightly shaking in his armor from such a threatening display, suggests, already backing away from the group, lest the wyrm manages to break through those bars and eats them one by one like dewdrop candy.

Tiso growls again, his eyes locked on the remaining four idiots who dared to remain while at least one of them had the smarts enough to know not to mess with something he would easily turn into a meal. That is, if he considered it that desperate of course. Tiso wouldn't really chow down on a fellow warrior, that was just unethical and morally disturbing even with his new beastly form. He starts puffing up, making himself look bigger with intentions of letting out another threatening roar when something catches his attention. His head jerks up, eyes staring beyond the group as the large doors open on one side before closing back. A short hiss escapes through his strange maw, slipping back away until half of his serpentine neck was pressed up against rock wall of his confines.

"Look here boys, it's afraid! Hah, ain't nothing that big giant noodle beasty can do about it!" The fat fool laughs, pointing at the wyrm's misery.

"Except be released so it may turn you all into crunchy morsels?"

The group practically jumps out of their armor, backs tensed before looking around them collectively. All eyes fall onto God Tamer, standing behind them with one hand grasping her blade, the other hefting a large boofly carcass she had to hunt down. With her visor up, she casts a expression of annoyance and mild frustration.

"Taking delight in teasing my wyrm?" She states and before the idiots could muster out a sylable, she shouts. "GET OUT!"

Not needing to be told twice, the group haul out as fast as they could, nearly tripping over each other as the scramble to open the great doors. Tamer stands by and watches in silence, making sure those morons won't be disturbing her. This was the crucial part, the reason for her title. If anyone was to enter in now, it could distract her quarry and ruin any chances to form any form of obedience. Another short minute passes and the great room falls quiet say for the usual grunts and growls of her various collection of wild creatures. At last, she turns her full attention towards her greatest prize and smirks.

"I don't blame you. I too, would be trying to pry my way through those bars to tear apart those idiots."

God Tamer turns towards the center of the make-shift arena, placing the big Boofly down on the ground. She turns once more back towards the cage, watching the wyrm perk up more, those... strange antennae-like horns also perking up. She smirks, noting the interest. Ah yes, this should go easy, having tamed beasts through their stomachs before. 

Tiso eyes the food, sitting right there in the open. He could feel the corners of his maw start to water up, the scents he'd normally wouldn't be able to pick up invading his senses and sending his stomach to eagerly nudge him forward with interest. Was it too good to be true? Was Tamer going to let him just... have this meat? Maybe she did finally figure out it was him.

" _T-Tamer? Can't you tell it's me? This is all just one big misunderstanding! Come on Tamer, don't give me that shifty look like you're up to something! I know that look!_ " Tiso grumbles in vain.

Suddenly the cage door shakes, dust falling from above and it slowly starts to rise. God Tamer's hand rests on one of the various wooden switches that kept the cage doors down, watching intently as the great iron bars finally finished rising. The rest of the creatures go silent, as if captivated by the biggest cage opening up to reveal the captive god-beast inside.

There's a pause of uncertainty, then slowly the end of Tiso's muzzle pokes out, sniffing the air before slinking back in at first. So far, no reaction, the gate not crashing down and slamming down on his head, effectively crushing it. So again he sticks his head out, white eyes skimming the arena for any funny business. He turns his attention back to God Tamer, still waiting patiently by the levers. That boofly, still fresh and the scent of it wafting in only served to make Tiso's stomach even more eager to tear into that thing, despite it being raw and juicy. 

At last he moves out, head and upper neck in view out of his confinements. He gives the air another sniff, still eyeing the warrior before making his way towards the center of the arena. His new form brought with it a new means of locomotion, feeling as if there were a thousand feet hidden inside his elongated body, pressing against belly scales in waves all the while moving those coils side to side. He had figured this process out while waiting for the little wanderer to return with the kingdom's Sentinel, with some shaky results at first before finally getting the hang of it. It reminded him sorta like how the Goam moved about in their tunnels and caverns even with the tiny sharp spikes adorning their naturally hard bodies.

Now coiled around the offered meal, he gives Tamer one more glance, releasing a snort of ungratefulness. Maw opened, Tiso reaches down to pick up the meat to swallow down whole.

Only to have that blasted iron barbed bridle yank back hard, the barbs biting into the softness of his mouth as he lets out a warbling roar of pain. 

Somehow in his distraction, Tamer had secretly sneaked up on the wyrm, using the chain still attached to him to force his head away from the meal, giving it a second yank.

"NO!" She shouts.

Tiso yelps again, trying to fight back. He releases a hiss which ends up only granting him another painful jerk back. He tries to push through, hunger biting at his mind. The bridle digs in again, making him cry out as his head is pulled away from that prize.

"NO!" Tamer shouts again. "Leave it there! That is not for you!"

" _Oh like hell it is! Stop treating me like some lowly aspid! I'll do what I want!_ " 

Unable to hear his protests past the bestial snarls, Tamer smirks while her grasp tightens on the chain in her hands. Oh what a feisty young god-beast. Already she could imagine the looks on the faces of any new fool who would dare challenge her in the tournaments! Especially the look on that tiny pale fighter's face who would likely dare to try to challenge her again. After what that small thing manage to do with her previous favorite beast, having the wyrm at her side would ensure that wouldn't happen again. After all, it is said only gods can defeat other gods.

"I said... LEAVE IT!" 

A snap of the chains, and Tiso is unable to prevent himself from wailing out, half-struggling free from his capture after trying to get that Boofly meal. With his head and neck lowered, God Tamer rushes up, leaping up till she gets herself seated on top of her captive 'pet'. Using the chain as her reins, she holds on for dear life as the young looking wyrm thrashes about, roaring and snapping his jaws to try to throw her off. Instead, she lets out a laugh, pleased that she was tiring out this beast. 

With a crash against a barrier wall, Tiso flails about still unable to throw God Tamer off. She was as stuck to him like crystallize honey. If it wasn't for that long tail of his, he would of been able to make an easier time swinging around to try to knock her off his back practically. As it stood, the transformed fighter was still not use to the whole 'noodle' body plan and thus nearly getting himself quite tangled up in his own coils.

Tiso roars out a painful yelp, falling right on his face hard into the sand. He barely has enough time to snort out the grit from his slit nostrils before feeling the chains whip around and that slight weight taken off his neck. A growl weakly escapes his maw, eyes squinting from the numbing pain of impact. When his eyes finally focus, there's God Tamer, still showing that smirk of her, the chains in her hands slack. There's a pause, another warning growl only to feel that battle worn hand pat the side of his face again.

"Had enough yet? I can go all day if I must. A true warrior can forego burdening their stomach of heavy meals. However... it seems the same couldn't quite apply in your situation, does it?" She taunts, one hand keeping that chain close and the other still patting the beast's cheek, even so much as rub loving circles. It almost felt... nice. 

A heavy snort escapes the wyrm in response. 'No Tiso, don't fall for one of her tactics! You have to win this.. She's... she's just pretending to dote on ya.', he tries to mentally shake in his head, white glowing eyes squinting hard. No, he had to get back up and untangle himself from his own knot of coils. He had to get up, fight against these barbed chains and free himself. He had to... he had... to...

Something presses against the side of his muzzle and for a moment Tiso's mind just blanks out. It's soft and moderately warm, releasing juices that only made his belly ache the moment his mind manages to process it all. 

"Go on. That's a good wyrm, take this offering to you." God Tamer holds up a fresh chunk of meat, a carved portion from the boofly carcass still left in the middle of the training arena.

Thus, Tiso caved. His maw widens to almost to the point where the barbed bridle would cause discomfort, Tamer taking care to avoid the single rows of scissor like teeth before tossing in the prize. The flavor of fresh, raw meat from something other than a aspid or a Great Hopper giving Tiso a tango of flavors to which his stomach was quite in agreement to. At last he feels slightly better, using his unusual shaped muzzle to effectively 'snip' apart into smaller chunks until his tongue aids in swallowing the smaller pieces down. What a strange sensation, feeling it all just slide down a elongated throat, sensing muscles going to work to push the food down. For Tiso, it was a foreign feeling he just now was starting to notice and strangely enough, it wasn't as bothering as he expected himself to be.

"Such a good wyrm. I can see we're going to get along... just fine." God Tamer reaches up again, massaging her hand against the wyrm's cheek below his eye.

" _Okay... so, maybe it's... not that bad. Certainly helps against the itch..._ " Tiso mutters, and looks back towards the rest of the Boofly carcass. His stomach still not completely satisfied.

A tug of the chains breaks his concentration, forced to gaze upon God Tamer. Her smirk still held on like iron on her face, eyes staring up at Tiso no more differently to the last beast she once doted on. The one... that little wanderer easily took care of.

"Look at me, wyrm! I alone can provide for you, watch over you. You look up to me and only me. Anyone else is a idiot to dare challenge us. You and I... we're going to be champions... together!"

The chain goes completely slack, dropped from Tamer's hand before she points towards the Boofly left on the ground.

"Go and eat. We mustn't waste good meat."

" _Don't have to tell me twice!_ " Tiso growls and without second thought, slithers over to the center of the arena.

He pauses, sniffing the carcass before taking one side glance towards his captor, watching her watch him back. Tiso snorts out in warning, no funny business better be afoot. Last thing he wants is to try and take the meal, only for the chains to constantly yank and pull his head away, teasing and taunting him to forever be so close to a meal only to be denied. So he leans in, one eye completely trained on Tamer until the end of his lower jaw touches the shell. With no reaction out of her, Tiso's attention goes back to the Boofly and immediately snatches it up into his jaws.

Lifting his head into the air, it made feeding easier, biting and slicing up chunks of meat that slid down his throat in a great heave of thankfulness. Now his stomach was finally starting to feel better, no longer a endless knot constantly twisting and screaming for food in this new, giant form. A slow moan manages to escape out of the changed fool, missing the taste of real food.

" _Oh Wyrm this is so good! About... ngh... about time I had some real food worth chewing on._ " He grumbles through a mouthful.

Meanwhile, while the wyrm was preoccupied, God Tamer turned towards the large contraption with various levers, each attached to the various cages containing an assortment of creatures she kept at her disposal. She wanted to test this beast, see how far its aggression was to be worthy to go ahead and enter it into the tournaments. So far, things were easy, the wyrm already worn down from lack of food and from its capture that taming it seemed like a breeze. A lucky break for Tamer indeed in such a short of time.

Tiso barely catches the sound of chains rattling, levers being pulled and a cage door lifting behind him. After swallowing down the last chunk of food, he turns around, seeing Tamer at the control panels with her hand resting on one of the wooden levers having released some sort of creature out onto the training grounds, but what? He tilts his head just so, confusion plastered over his face only flinch at a very familiar screech from behind.

His scales stiffen up to the sound, and he whips his head around to gaze at a creature released from its cage. There's a moment of pause, and then Tiso's eyes widen with stark realization and genuine panic in those glowing orbs. A large creature emerges from the darkness, round in shape with many small limbs for locomotion, while a set of long bladed claws held out on the sides. A smaller, rounder head sat on top the segmented body, ringed with eyes and crowned in teeth that flexes as it snarls out. The creature approaches the wyrm, not at all afraid to present its aggression on the bigger beast.

Tiso, on the other hand, felt his heart fly into his throat, racing so much all he could hear was the rapid drumming in his ears. Memories flocked in and despite his new form, the scar across his underbelly seemed to burn yet again to a painful, near death experience. Thus, he shrieks out, backing away till half his serpentine coils press up against the walls of the training grounds.

The same type of Brooding Mawlek that nearly took his life.

" _No! No! No! No! Not again! Not again! God Tamer, listen to me for once in your life, I beg you to put that thing away!_ " He screams out, slithering away as much as possible the moment the smaller beast tries to jump on top of him. 

He glances back to Tamer, noting her just... standing there by the controls, looking rather bored with her arms crossed while watching the events unfolding. She wasn't even bothered to help him and instead looked as if her expectations for her new wyrm pet just took a dive into the Abyss. Was she really just going to leave him to his fate like this? To die again to the same creature that not so long ago nearly succeeded in taking his life the first time? The small Deepnest beast goes to strike with a claw, resulting in Tiso scrambling away again, but not fast enough.

Fat globs of venom arch into the air, landing on back scales with a violent sizzling as it reacts to the wyrm scales. Tiso screams out, retreating as fast as his untrained coils could take him. Of all the times to not have his shield! Why didn't God Tamer not notice the shield nearby him? Before Tiso could register any further mental commentary, his body is assaulted again with more venom and claws. Another screech and he wraps around to the opposite side, not staring at the Mawlek while it continues to spat globs at him in its approach.

Tears threaten to run down his face from the pain, a few patches of scales now pitted and burned from what was once infection globs now turned to powerful toxins. What could he do, he was without protection, he carried no weapon on him to block the beast (not that it helped him the first time), and now he was mercilessly being chased by a monster intending to carve him up and digest him alive.

Heart still pounding in fear, Tiso finds himself clamping down on his jaws. The scissor teeth scrap against each other, creating a slightly uncomfortable noise like metal on metal. The Brooding Mawlek hisses before leaping into the air, intending to crush Tiso again. No, not like this... not this again! He won't survive! He's going to die! He's going to-

The creature lands on his lower back, circle of legs trying to cling to stronger wyrm scales, all the while the landing felt no more than a minor inconvenience to him. Like when the small knight often would come from behind and give him a random hug when they were making sure he was okay from recovery.

It didn't hurt the way he thought it would and those claws were finding a hard time to slice through the much bigger upper scales now. Tiso wasn't being crushed to death.

Then it hits him, at last it finally connects the dots in his head.

His body... this new form, _was_ his shield, his protection and unlike before, he had a deadly surprise firmly planted inside his new muzzle. This revelation gave him encouragement, a new realization of his form.

With a giant breath of air, the wyrm Tiso roars out a battle cry.

Shaking his body, the wyrm dislodges this bloated tick of a mawlek off his back, slithering out before whipping his head around to face his opponent. Why was he so afraid before? He wasn't Tiso the fool, the warrior that nearly died due to some miscalculations or misfortune. No, he was Tiso, the Wyrm and wyrm means strength and power! Creatures worthy to be called gods to all bugkind! The Mawlek was puny in size comparison! No more would it be able to leap and crush him, well... like an ant! He was no ant, he was a feared being of renown, of myth and legend wrapped as tightly as his many coils. This Deepnest creature wasn't going to make flatten cakes out of him...

He was going to rip this thing to shreds!

Viewing from her position, God Tamer finally pulls out a small smirk. 

"About time. Young and dumb until it realizes it's got the upperhand." She mutters under her breath.

The Brooding Mawlek snarls out, slowly approaching with its legs tapping on the ground, claws poised to swipe at the wyrm. Many eyes blink before shuddering and releases forth a great volley of globs that burn to the touch. Tiso releases a warbling yell, baring down his teeth from the sizzling pain. Okay, no more Mr. Nice Wyrm. 

He moves out of the way from another way of globs, whipping the end of his tail to smash the beast. It's enough to send it sliding across the training room floor. Legs scramble to get back up, flailing in the air as a long dark shadow peers above it. Tiso lets out a growl, maw opening to reveal those scissor teeth. Without a second thought, he crashes downwards, his jaws clamping down on the beast's body before hoisting it into the air. Small claws lash about cutting shallow groves into the wyrm's scales on his face. 

Avoiding the spitting end, the wyrm clamps down hard, making the mawlek scream out in agony while still fighting against its captive. Tiso would not listen to its cries, growls now turn into blood-thirsty roars. Now it was his turn to deal the final blow. 

With a heavy intake of air in his lungs, the wyrm begins to violently shake his prey back and forth, slamming to the ground side to side hard enough to shake the cages and scare the shells off the inhabitants that dwell within them. He would toss the mawlek into the air, only to catch it again, shaking his head rapidly like a flea with some chew toy. Something oozes onto his tongue in and turn sends new, foreign, almost wild instincts through his mind. 

He had enough toying about with his prey, now it was time to finish it off.

The Mawlek was dropped with a dead weight thud, covered in its own fluids while weakly twitching a claw here, a leg there. It gargles out, trying to cry its pain while still seeking to spew forth another glob of venom. Alas, it was but a dribble from its open maw, mixed with its own fluids. A set of jaws closes in, the shadow of the wyrm sealing the beast's fate once and for all. 

A crunch echoes, the wyrm tilting his head back to aim for the ceiling and with his maw slicing through, the mawlek would become no more than the more delicious revenge Tiso has ever tasted in his life. 

At last the bane of his existence was gone, over in a few tasty crunches of shell. Only the claws were spared the gullet, falling to the sandy ground to rest alongside the scar that remained behind on his underbelly. A few more gulps, lumps making their way down into his stomach, and the Mawlek was now but a distant memory. No more would he need to fear the beast that nearly took his life, for he turned the tides and took its instead. Even his stomach greatly agreed, no longer feeling the pains of a ever growing hunger, for now. A deep, rumbling grumble vibrates from his throat. 

" _Good... riddance._ " 

The end of his tail flicks away the discarded claws, watching the tumble through the sand till they come to a stop at the feet of God Tamer. With a wide grin on her face, she no doubt greatly enjoyed the carnage, the destruction from the young wyrm. So, there might be some hope left in this beast instead of extensive training on a god so young. It was practically a natural, like a skilled fighter. She approaches the great beast, catching his attention. At once those antennae like horns perk up, and he slowly leans in, feeling her hand grasp the halter around his face he nearly forgotten in the fight was still attached. 

Tiso doesn't struggle, doesn't resist or fight back as his glowing white eyes meet with God Tamer's as she holds him firm with one hand, the other reaching up to pet across those scales. She thumbs over a shallow scratch, one that will easily be overlooked. A small price to pay for such a glorious event. She cared not for the mawlek now, one of her prized beasts. There were always more to collect down in the depths of Deepnest. She could easily send a fool or two to collect her more if needed. Then again, why bother when she has something far more valuable than some spitting, slow, maw with legs.

"What a good wyrm, taking care of that thing like it was mere silk parchment soaked through." She coos, watching as her new beast rumbles softly from his throat. 

"Such power, such force. You tore through that Mawlek with such violence, it's enough to make a seasoned gladiator cry." 

Tamer leans in, almost pressing her face against the wyrm's muzzle, staring into that glowing white eye as if staring into some form of god like power for her to take. The wyrm responds, eyes half lidded as if expecting something... maybe, just maybe...?

The distant sound of drums and cheers breaks Tamer away, staring up towards the ceiling. A successor fool has made it closer to the end of this tournament and with that, a new challenger for her to face. Her smile returns, the one she makes when ideas start to spring up in that battle harden warrior's mind. She turns back to her new pet and with chain in hand, steps on to ride upon his head.

"Let's go wyrm, the crowd cheers for more blood lust. They chant for their champion's call." She instructs, knowing soon she would enter the arena and reveal to the spectators the glory true to her moniker, God Tamer and she has at last, charmed a wyrm.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hornet's needle cuts through the fallen ash, pegging into the old crumbling rock of Kingdom's Edge. She lands with grace, standing back up before turning around to ensure her sibling was catching up. From the platforms and outcrops of stone, out dashes a figure of black shadow only to reveal the small vessel. They hop from platform to platform until they could rejoin their sister by the edge. 

No sooner had the small knight stood by her side, that Hornet cast her gaze down below towards the bottom. With the Hollow Knight resting at the hot springs at the old Crossroads, surely they can handle dealing with Tiso's idiocy a while longer until they could find a solution to reverse the spell on him. Yet as she peers down, watching the ash fall gently, the bottom below was lacking a certain fool-turned-wyrm.

"Wha? Impossible. Where is the moron!? He was suppose to remain here until we returned!" She sneers before leaping down, Ghost following close behind.

The pair gaze about, trying to find any sign of the fool. Ghost would wander about, noticing the marks in the fallen ash, looking like a possible struggle. Did Tiso have to fight with someone, or something? Something wasn't adding up. They turn back to watch Hornet also wander about, looking for the signs as to what could of led the wyrm-fool to simply... vanish. 

Something hits her foot, causing the huntress to advert her gaze from the marks in the ash.

"What in all of Hallownest?" 

She leans down, reaching to scrap away ash to reveal a very familiar circular disk half buried away. 

"Tiso's shield. The ant's never anywhere without this defense weapon. Even as a wyrm, the fool would not want to abandon such a sentimental piece." She explains, handing it to Ghost.

"Hold this for safe keeping, for we must figure out where he has disappeared off to. For all of our sake, let us hope to not find a tunnel crafted by him, driven by feral wyrm instincts to hunt what's left of this ruined kingdom. If his mind has submitted to the god-beast's own, then the cure to his own foolish curse will become harder to acquire if he fails to listen to reason."

Ghost nods, taking the shield from Hornet and places it with great care inside their cloak. How they were capable of carrying something as large as them, Hornet could only guess with some aid to the Void with the wanderer. Still, there was no time to question the infinity of those pockets, not when there was a misplaced wyrm to be found.

Hornet returns to the scene of a possible crime, reading the marks in the ashen snow, how they moved and displaced. Her head tilts side to side, picking apart the trail and what story it could tell. The huntress's eyes slowly move, studying every small detail until at last her conclusions to the evidence presented finally revealed themselves. 

"Little Ghost, look! These tracks belong to a group of bugs, all moving together walking backwards. This here, the great slide. That is no doubt from your friend, Tiso. He was trying to move back as well. By elimination of the thing straight lines, this is no doubt some form of tether. Which brings to only one conclusion; Tiso was captured!"

The vessel stares up at Hornet, before looking around in some form of desperation. Surely they could figure out where their friend had been taken off to? Who in the kingdom would dare try to take on a wyrm and succeed even if they had no idea said wyrm wasn't really a wyrm in truth?! They follow the tracks, noting how Tiso must of struggled hard, breaking a few large boulders along the way. 

It was only then, the faint sound of cheers echo down from high above. They look up, only to leap out of the way as the corpse of a fallen fool crumples to the ground. Once the panic wore off, they return to gazing upwards, hearing those tell-tale drums for the glory of combat. Ghost hardly flinches when Hornet joins their side and she too, casts her gaze towards the above caverns. With a groan, she reaches to pinch the bridge between her eyes.

"The Colosseum of Fools, but of course! Only one bug in that menagerie of blade fodder would be brazen enough to rope in that fool Tiso without possibility of them recognizing him for what he truly is." She mutters then draws forth her needle.

"Looks like we're going to be paying a visit to God Tamer before her tournament begins to rescue our moron before things only gain against his favor." 

Hornet leans down, scooping up Ghost into the crook of her arm before swiftly throwing her needle into the air, scaling themselves towards the top and for that dreaded colosseum. Ghost holds onto their sister, unsure what the outcome would be. 

More than likely thanks to how rash Hornet can be, this conflict would have to be settled at the end of a nail.


	6. Rescue In The Trials

The consistent rhythm of drums echoes throughout the entrance way, enough for Hornet to square up her shoulders and tense up her body. She had no place here, a building meant for those who wish to seek some validation for so called combat, only to be eviscerated in front of an indifferent audience only cheering on for the sake of bloodshed and violence. A place for, in her eyes, idiots who sought out a more painful means to an end even if they did not see their own demise ahead of them. Whereas Hornet would produce a singular killing blow, a far more gentler mercy to those who were infected and beyond hope of recovery, here a bug could be mortally wounded and literally dumped outside into a pile of carcasses to die alongside them.

That was nearly Tiso's fate before, when Ghost brought her down towards those lower sections of the Kingdom's Edge to find the foolish ant injured and approaching death's embrace. In honesty, she would of allowed nature to continue its course and death quietly sweep in to take his soul away to rest, but the small knight wasn't having any of that. So she reluctantly brought him back to a safe location, healing his wounds and brought him back to a healing state, all for the sake of ensuring her sibling had friends, happiness, something that set them apart from what it meant to be a vessel, especially after they hinted another way to freeing the Hollow Knight and liberate the kingdom from the infection. 

Now here Hornet stands, staring up at the remains of some giant bug's head now serving as entrance to the Colosseum, needle tightly in hand.

"Ghost, I trust you can perform in your methods without resulting in a bigger mess than what has already been laid out before us?" She flatly asks, turning to look down at her sibling.

Ghost stares up at the entrance, seemingly gazing into nothingness. Would they be able to return to the trials despite completing them? Truthfully, it was merely a matter of them not wanting to see Hornet fight alone, at least not against what they had to face and that was with charms, nailarts skills, things they've learned throughout their journey. Hornet on the other hand, had a strict method of combat and Ghost was unsure if she was adaptable to the Colosseum's brutal trials where one step could easily betray you to a spiky death. Maybe she was more than capable, if anything it would be thanks to her lineage, spider and wyrm alike, both predator creatures that would carry her to a possible victory. A victory that, with luck, would get them to free Tiso from whatever predicament he would be in.

So the knight breaks their stare to turn towards Hornet and silently nods. They'll find a way for both to enter in the tournament, there was a friend to save.

With a hum and nod in return, Hornet proceeds inside, Ghost trailing behind her. At once they can see a line of new warriors, each taking a turn to pay for their chance at glory, sticking a pin into one of the three available categories of the trials before proceeding to wait down before till it was their turn.

"Ah, our glorious warrior has returned to the circle of combat! Wish to challenge yourself once again to the same trials as before, or have you come to gaze upon new fighters to contest for the mark of glory?" Spoke a hanging bug from the ceiling, the Little Fool.

Hornet tenses up, before clearing her throat to stand beside Ghost.

"We come here to release their friend, not prattle about with rusted nails for so called 'glory' that you lot believe to be."

"Hmph, well if you have a companion in the trials, there's nothing I can do about it. Once a warrior has paid their entrance fees and placed their mark upon the board, they must commit to combat or else forfeit to become fodder for other fighters looking for that place of glory." The Little Fool explained.

Hornet tenses up, ready to draw her needle and use this chained bug like a punching bag, only to feel a small hand rest upon her clenched fist. She turns, seeing Ghost look up at her, their empty eyes giving away nothing and yet somehow past the darkness within, the void stirring like a restless wave on disturbed water, she understood. With a short sigh and nod does she relax her tension, gazing back towards the Little Fool.

"Fine, then we're both entering into this competition. Together."

"Hm, never have we had a tandem trial before and the likelihood of having such a spectacle would be-"

"We're here to challenge God Tamer and it would seem only fair that if she can fight with a tamed beast of hers, then we can fight together as a pair." Hornet snaps back, bristling up the edges of her cloak.

The hanging fool hums in thought, debating on the possibly of how this altered trial could go.

"Well... it could be considered fair combat. A two versus two would certainly impress the audience looking for some fresh entertainment..."

Before he could finish that statement, there would the clinking sound of a handful of geo falling into a collection box, producing two red pins. Hornet snatches one of them, looking at it closely before approaching the hardest and most difficult trial board, only three other pins stuck in it. She looks back to Ghost, staring right back before offering a nod. With her attention back on the board, she grasps the pin tightly and thrusts it hard against the board, placing her mark. Removing her hand would reveal small cracks surrounding the pin.

"This.. is for Tiso."

\- - - - - - - - - - - 

If it wasn't the near consistent sounds of nails clanging, fools crying out in deep pain, or the roar of the crowd, it was the sheer boredom of waiting for their turn that got Hornet pacing circles around the only bench in the barracks. 

Ghost sat on the bench, watching her pace around and around, as if using it as a form of meditation before their turn. Now and then they would pull out Tiso's shield from beneath their cloak, staring down at their reflection upon its face. What a strange weapon for the ant fighter to possess. Though, the fact the sections could spread open to reveal sharpen edges was a nice touch and not one expected from a tool for defense. 

"Put that away."

They perk up, eyes meeting Hornet's before she sits down next to them, clearly done with her pacing to rest. Without wanting to start an argument, Ghost does what she says, placing the shield away in the safety of their cloak. It would be important later.

"Does it... normally take this long to wait? Truth be told this is my first... visit to the insides of the Colosseum so I am ill-advise on what to expect." She asks, one hand resting on the hilt of her needle. With them being surrounded by other fools waiting for their chance, last thing she needs to have one of them try to sneak their way through to a shorter wait by fighting off the competition in queue.

Ghost stares up at her then shakes their head. Indeed, it was unusually busy here for the trials. Normally from their last visits the waiting room had plenty of warriors but not almost shoulder to shoulder. Could the end of the infection have something to do with this? They stare up at the lanterns hanging above, watching the flames roll about inside. Maybe Tiso was safe inside a cage in some far back room. God Tamer couldn't be that crazy enough to force him into the tournaments, would she?

The echo of the crowd cheers, the sound of drums pounding faster and another cheer ripples through after the tinking of metal and a gargled cry meets with another cheer. Hornet now turns her attention towards the ceiling, watching the lanterns jiggle from something heavy above. None of the fools in waiting seemed bothered by this, only tending to their armor or weapons. Some resting where ever they could to conserve as much strength as possible. She tries to hone in on each sound, each vibration. 

"Hm... seems rather difficult to track what... or who, is up there right now. I suppose we'll find out ourselves when it is our turn." She sighs out before returning her attention to her half sibling. "Promise me when we do battle, is it side by side, not a free for all. This is, after all, a rescue mission, not a chase for the feebling of false glory." 

The vessel merely stares back, not hinting at whether or not they agreed or to disagree. Another cheer from above gets them to give Hornet a single nod. As fun as fighting in the colosseum was, this was for Tiso. Though that also brought them to mentally question to themselves. The amount of fighters coming in, more than usual, it had to do something with Tiso. Yet in the time they entered themselves in and waited down here with the mass of fools, not once had they caught a tell-tale warble or thrumming roar that was distinctive belonging to Tiso in his new wyrm form. So either one of two things; fools were killed off before reaching God Tamer, or she kept him in a cage for safe keeping.

Either way, the only way for Hornet and them to reach Tiso was through God Tamer.

"Hey! Spider gal! You and your little buddy are next!" 

Hornet immediately faces in the direction of a fat fool calling them forth. Needle in hand, she leaves the bench, Ghost following close behind as they approach the entrance hall towards the arena only for the same big bug to block the way. She stares him down, sizing up immediately on how to fight back if he lied and was one of those 'weeding the competition' early.

"Out of the way!"

The fool stands strong, eyeing the young spider down with arms crossed. 

"Not my business to say anything, but since your little buddy here's already won all the trials, they've cooked up something really special for the likes of you. Especially if you can make it to the end. No one's gotten to see what our resident champion's got up her sleeves and you can bet your second fang you'll probably won't live to see it either." The fool states with a smug, stretching out the word 'really' in an attempt to taunt Hornet.

Hornet releases a short growl before allowing Ghost to patter through before shoving the bigger bug aside. 

"We'll see about that. You may have to eat your own words soon enough."

With that she gives the fool a sharp eyed stare before tossing her needle forward, catching up with her sibling.

The dark tunnel opens up to the arena where upon immediately the gate behind them slams shut, preventing an escape. This was a do or die moment, and with needle in hand, Hornet was ready as she'd ever be to go against this horde to reach its end. Ghost holds their nail up and immediately the crowd cheers, recognizing the little warrior. They dash forward, standing front and center to the whole arena and it is then the drums pick back up, starting the new trial. Hornet makes the first attack the moment cages were lifted from the ground entrances, slicing her way through a fat fool.

Ghost's nail easily smacks into more brought up fighters, each one barely getting the chance to recognize they'd been slain, groaning and gurgling out in their final moments. Though the little vessel seemed to take this blood sport with ease, each swing of her needle, each stab through a leather helmet did not sit well with Hornet. If there was one thing she and her deceased father had one thing in agreement together, it was their distaste for the gladiatorial combat, slaying bugs like ripping holes through taunt fabric.

This was not Hornet's ideal means of fighting. For her, it was simpler to slay something out of defense or a means to gain a meal, not for the sake of verbal recognition as some blood thirsty warrior. With each attack of her weapon, a toss of spike traps or even a few swipes of her silk for defense, her mind raced with a hundred or more reasons to justify these senseless killings. To get to God Tamer, the fact these fools knew death was part of the trials and they signed up willingly knowing that risk... but importantly, to rescue Tiso from entrapment for being mistaken for a legendary god.

A set of cages rise up, making Hornet pause briefly as they opened, revealing a pair of small creatures with wide cape like wings and pulsating bellies. She tenses up, only to react to shove Ghost out of the way as one screeches before dive bombing onto the siblings.

"Watch out for the belflies!" She shouts, letting go of Ghost so the two could quickly dodge another dive, the belflies exploding upon impact on the arena's floor. 

The crowd cheers on as the two siblings dispersed, swiping down more fools shortly after being brought up to do battle. Another wave down and the floor begins to rumble. Ghost looks down, and recognizing what was to come, immediately leaps up for one of the standing platforms held in the air. Hornet follows behind, watching as the floor reveals a bed of spears sticking straight out, poised to impale any foolish fighter who fell to close. Now the drums beat faster, as cages fly up, revealing flying fools to combat the siblings. 

Hornet leaps to the wall, clinging with one hand and grasps a spike trap with the other. She throws it, pegging a winged fool in the face. It distracts them long enough for Ghost to swoop in with their nail, finishing off the enemy as they fall into the pit of spikes. For the most part, Hornet felt content to just hang up here in along the wall, allowing Ghost to handle the conveyor belt of enemies being shuttled in only for their lives to cease within moments. Her sibling had won this trial before, so why did that one bug state it would be different?

With a flying fool down, the crowd cheers only for Hornet to feel a sudden vibration. She turns to her hand against the wall, eyes staring in a moment of lost concentration. One that nearly costs her a hand as she lets go, spears shooting out to close the space in further. With a twist of her body, Hornet lands on one of the platforms, looking around before noticing in her dodge, the arena has become fully enclosed with a strong steel wall on either side, spears shooting out on the other two. Another rumble and it takes her a better second to realize this new round and reaches out for the knight.

"Ghost! The Garpedes!"

The siblings trade what small spaces they could procure, dodging the heavily armored long beasts with sharp pincers and steel like feet as a pair enter the arena, one above the other below. Such creatures Hornet was well acquainted with back in her home in Deepnest, but these plowing beasts did not recognize the princess, instead charging through to designated holes left open in the ground and ceiling just for them. Once there was a gap between the beasts does she leap across to rejoin Ghost. 

The vessel clings to the opposite wall and despite the expressionless face, they projected in body language alone they came a tad to close for comfort on one of those sharp leg claws. Hornet moves in, using her cloak as a shield for her little sibling, as another barrage of garpedes thunder through from more directions. Seizing the moment, she plucks Ghost off the wall with one hand. With her remaining limbs, she attempts to climb to the top, seeking another gap to leap through and avoid the oncoming giant bugs. Ghost immediately holds onto her, careful not to peg her sides with the mantis claws attached to their small wrists. 

A rumble is felt and the last of the garpedes disappears, allowing the spears on the floor to retract away, allowing the siblings to finally touch back down on the ground. Now more fiends were unleashed, including a few mantis, seemingly in the last thralls of infection, or perhaps their minds were so far gone, that the lifting of said infection revealed more reduced mentalities. They charged and snarl, no different in behavior than that of feral bugs. Nail and Needle in hand, the siblings charge forth, intending to finish this blood bath once and for all.

The moment Hornet's needle pins down the final fool and finished off by Ghost's Abyss Shriek, do the drums, which had been playing faster and faster as the trial grew more and more intense, suddenly stop. Ghost looks towards the gate on the other side, sensing something approaching. The crowd goes quiet, whispers of anticipation looming in, excitement blooming under the breaths. Hornet glances around, slightly short of breath while clutching her dirtied needle.

"Ghost... what's happening?" Her voice hisses, expecting some kind of trick to be laid out.

Her answer came not from the knight, but from deep below the bowels of the arena. The ground shakes and rumbles, feeling something moving somewhere beyond the battle ground. Like heavy doors before that metal gate they stare out. Then it comes...

A great roar, enough to shake the whole colosseum, the hanging lanterns sway and wobble with this alien-like thundering roar. Then, as quickly and intense as it came, the roar subsides back to silence and at last do the metal bar gates open, revealing a set of glowing white eyes appearing in the darkness. Hornet barely has enough time to hold her needle in defense before her and Ghost brace down as the final combatant enters the arena.

The crowd gasps at the sight, the massive beast slithering its way out into the open, head forced up high to tower over the two siblings. The arena is partially coiled by a large tubular body of navy blue and black scales. Chains rattle as the great beast shakes their head side to side, face half covered in a make-shift visor of stitched leathers and remains of armor discarded to allow its rider full control over what it sees and does with a barbed chain attached to it in a facial harness. 

Both Hornet and Ghost gaze up, vision meeting with that of both beast... and rider.

God Tamer smirks behind her own visor, one hand bound tightly with the lead chain, the other grasping her great jagged nail, all the while balanced on top of her new pet. She chuckles, giving the chain a quick jerk which digs the barbs of the harness to bite into the wyrm's face, making it roar out in reaction. The drums return to their performance and the crowd rips a mighty cheer. Now, God Tamer really could live up to her name, as one who truly has tamed a god...

"I see you've brought company, little warrior, but that won't save you this time! Now I have the advantage and nothing you have will keep me from obtaining my title!" Tamer shouts, and with a kick, forces the wyrm to go on the attack. 

Both siblings leap out of the way as the wyrm slams his head towards the ground, scissor jaws snapping to catch either of them. Dust flies into the air, and the beast roars out, forced to follow Tamer's directive through the barbed chain and harness. Ghost goes for the defense for once, blocking another smack of jaws against nail, sending the small vessel flying back from the force. Hornet leaps in, grabbing them by the hand only to spin around to send them back towards their opponents. 

Hornet wasn't stupid, she knew right off something wasn't right with Tiso. What did Tamer do to him that he suddenly would willingly obey her commands? Food maybe? Yeah, it had to be food, that fool could be gifted a Pale Court banquet and he would pledge undying loyalty just to keep his waistline taunt, especially now as a wyrm with the appetite to match. Could Tamer have also slipped some sort of drug into his food so he'd likely listen to her?

Her concentrated would be tested, as the end of that large tail comes into view, aimed straight for her. She tries to block, only to cry out in pain as it smacks into her, sending her flying up against a wall. Stars swam in her vision to which she tries to shake out of. Hornet rapidly blinks, seeing the wyrm slither closer to her, jaws open with a low guttural growl. Tamer smirks at the sight, easily giving her pet a quick light jab with the back of her foot. This was to easy.

The wyrm roars again and goes for the attack, only to shriek the moment a blast of something black rocket for them. It freezes and burns at the same time, causing the wyrm to reel back, rapidly shaking their head to undo the pain. Hornet blinks once more, and sees Ghost in front, nail held out to their side. They would protect their sister from Tiso, even if it meant some harm done to their friend. He wasn't himself, was it possible he could be...? No, no he wasn't infected, they made sure of that once and for all in freeing Hallownest. So what could be...

"Stupid beast, attack them!" Tamer shouts, giving the barbed chain a hefty yank, the barbs biting into what soft spots of unprotected skin and making the wyrm yowl in response. 

Ghost dashes through the slamming tail, becoming their shade for a brief moment to dodge the onslaught of the attacks. Nail makes contact against dark blue scales and though they do not press in harder to cause serious harm, it was enough to agitate the wyrm. Jaws snap forward, catching Ghost by the cloak. The small vessel squirms to get loose only to hold on for dear life as they're violently shaken about like a doll. There's a audible crack and the knight is dropped roughly to the arena ground. The vessel staggers back up, feeling their energy drained, reaching up to feel a crack along their mask. Without thinking, they hunch down to quickly focus more Soul back into them to restore their injury before continuing.

The wyrm snarls out, and goes in for what looks like a kill with his jaws. There's a quick flash and silk threads fly into the air, ensnaring the beast's jaws shut. Tamer growls, swiping her own weapon as Hornet kicks off the wyrm's muzzle, needle in hand to block the attack. She quickly lands, standing beside her sibling while swiping her needle to one side, Ghost mimicking the same. 

"This fight ends now God Tamer! You don't know what you're dealing with! That wyrm is no ordinary wyrm and certainly of no godly status!" She shouts. God Tamer sneers, using her weapon to cut away the threads to free her pet's jaws.

"You're just delaying the inevitable! This is MY fight! MY win, and I will not let some scrawny, mute, pathetic pipsqueak grub with a toothpick for a nail steal my title away from me a second time and slaughter my prized possession! It ends here once and for all!" Tamer shouts in return, and yanks the chain of her pet, forcing it a warbling yelp and slams his tail on the ground, so hard both Hornet and Ghost fall on their hands and knees, staring up at the great beast as once again, it charges forth with jaws wide open.

A flash of black rushes past the siblings, bounding forwards and up with a might smack, metal echoing off metal. The attack catches all off-guard, even the crowd gasps at the unexpected entrance of a uninvited combatant. The force hits the wyrm hard in the face, making it reel backwards with a long roar of surprise and pain. Tamer holds on at first only to yelp as her grip falters, sending her tumbling to the arena floor. Quickly after her, comes the large metal and leather face visor the wyrm was forced to wear, now only the barbed halter and chain remained.

The mysterious black form lands between the two parties, finally revealing themselves with a flutter of a dark cloak and cracked but still gleaming longnail. Hornet and Ghost gaze up, seeing who it was who saved them.

"It's the Hollow Knight!" A onlooker shouts from the stands.

Hollow stood to full height, remaining hand gripping the handle of their longnail in an iron grip. Their empty eyes locked onto wyrm and God Tamer, standing as if they were once the proud knight of yesteryear. Yet even now, Hornet could see the slightly of tremors from their horns, their back, and legs. They had to be in pain just from the rush of breaking in and attacking just once, still not yet fully recovered from the bouts of the infection for so long. If they plan to continue this conflict, their energy reserves will not last them long.

"Hollow!? What are you doing here!? It's not safe, you can't fight here." Hornet shouts.

The larger vessel remains motionless, until their head barely turns to one side, listening to their sibling. Hornet grabs her needle, using it as a crutch to rise to one knee. She could sense it from them, that determination to protect what family remained alive, a debt for their freedom they feel must be paid. So with a groan, Hornet nods in agreement.

"Very well, but we fight together, do not harm that wyrm. It's... complicated."

Hollow nods finally, returning their attention back to God Tamer, now separated from her pet and even more steaming mad than before. 

With Hornet and Ghost back on their feet and weapons at hand, it is Ghost who makes the first attack without warning, swiping at God Tamer only to have their nail blocked by her own weapon. She was quick, fast and aggressive, using force to slap Ghost back only to meet opposition from Hornet's needle. The two against one seemed like a upper hand for the siblings, but this was of course God Tamer, or in this case, God Tamer with a now flared up temper.

All the while this went on, the great wyrm rumbles, as if in a daze once the armored face visor fell off from Hollow's attack. He shakes his head side to side, moaning once or twice before wincing his eyes open and shut, refocusing on his surroundings. Hollow follows his every moves, intending to be the barrier between him and God Tamer if she tries to reunite with her new pet and command to attack. 

" _Where.... where am... am I?_ " Tiso moans out, vision finally coming back. Antennae twitch to the roar of the crowd and he looks up to the sound, eyes wide at the realization where he was.

His attention returns to the fighting ring, watching the combatants continue to square off in heated combat. Tamer pulling a dirty move by snatching Hornet by the hem of her cloak, slinging her off against a wall then turns to slam her blade into the ground mere inches in front of Ghost's small face.

" _God Tamer? Squib? I gotta stop this! This is suppose to be my fight against her!_ "

Tiso makes a move, trying to slither over and separate the fighters from each other... if only a very lanky and tall silent bug wasn't getting in the way deliberately. He lets out a warning growl, eyeing the warrior with those large horns and empty black eyes that vaguely seemed so similar to that of the little warrior's appearance, only bigger. Again, Tiso tries to get around them, but the silent knight was ever quick to block, using their longnail as an extension of their arm to keep the wyrm at bay. 

" _Come on! Move it will ya! What are ya, brain dead!? Out of my way!_ " He shouts, to which for Hollow, all that came from the transformed fool's mouth was the distorted warbles, roars, and shrieks of a wyrm.

He tries to plow through, only to feel something reach out, wrapping around his throat to yank him back and crash the side of his head to the floor. It felt icy cold, stinging to the touch even. His left eye just manages to catch some sort of black inky tendril whipping about before being sucked back into the still healing stump of what once was an arm on the silent bug. Only once it was completely gone and revealing black stained bandages under that cloak did Hollow stagger, letting go of their longnail to cradle the severed stump with their hand, sharp claws and all so delicately against the wound all the while black liquid dribbles through the fabrics and onto the sandy ground. 

With a growl, Tiso rises back up and seizes this moment. If this mysterious fighter was going to get in his way to victory, then they're just going to be another casualty here in the Colosseum. He roars out a battle cry, charging forth to try and snap at the bug's thorax, bite it clean in half with his new jaws. The moment he reaches his opponent, however, all Tiso sees is a flash of black and white, and the bug disappears allowing him to basically eat dirt, crying out when he does as well as feeling the barbed chain halter still attached to him dig into any soft gaps in his scales. 

Hollow teleports behind Tiso, only to go from standing to full height, back to their hunched over position, silently heaving in and out cold puffs of air. Their unfinished healed injuries were finally catching up to them, sapping away precious energy. Still, their felt their duty should come first, otherwise their siblings wouldn't have a chance to win this fight. So, nail in hand, they'll do whatever it takes to subdue this wily wyrm before things get worse.

Sparks fly into the air, the crowd cheering as Hornet locks blades with Tamer, engaging in a shoving contest to see who would end up yielding and open for attack. The two push and shove against their weapons, Hornet's eyes all the more focused while Tamer's, though behind the leather visor, was set ablaze.

"You think you can win so easily spider princess!? You're about to find out what makes real champions here instead of relying on wild instincts! Maybe if you aren't quite dead when I win, I can feed you to my new pet, head first!" Tamer shouts, managing to shove Hornet back two steps only to be met with further resistance.

"That 'wyrm' you speak of is no pet of yours! If you haven't figured out the truth by now, you're the biggest fool than the entire Colosseum combine!" 

Hornet lets go of her shoving match, leaping into the air to somersault over Tamer's now forwarding body and lands behind her. Acting fact, silk threads fly out, commanded by her hands in speedy progress. Before Tamer could realize her mistake, she collapses to the ground, bound in spider silk shoulder to knee joints. She lets out a shout of anger, struggling against her bindings. 

"WYRM!"

Tiso jerks his head up, staring at the scene play out. 

" _I have a name you know, Tamer!_ " He growls out. Welp, time to separate the girls out of this folly.

He moves in, only to feel his chain being jerked back. With a pained yelp, he looks back and there, somehow, is that little squib of a warrior holding the end of it, their taller sibling staggering to their feet to help hold the chain back. He tilts his head in confusion, glowing white eyes locked with those empty dark ones. What did they want? Wasn't this suppose to be his fight against Tamer for his title of glory? Another few seconds pass, little Ghost still as stone looking up at Tiso, as if... pleading with him. At last they shake their head no, this wasn't Tiso's fight, for there will be no victors in this round.

" _Squib... I know you can't understand me without that shiny nail light thing.. but Tamer needs to know it's me. She'll understand.._ " He rumbles out, still getting the same silent response back. 

It was then that the gates on either side raise up unexpectedly, and in pours armored fools, weapons drawn at the scene. Hollow wasn't suppose to be here, deeming the trial null and voided. Time to kick out the 'cheater'. Sensing they were outnumbered greatly, it is Hornet who sheaths her needle, but not before giving the still bound up Tamer one last glare that would make death feel a shiver.

"Learn the truth, we're taking back what was never yours to begin with, having no intentions of becoming your pathetic 'champions' you feel so obligated to enamor over!" She practically hisses under her fangs.

Turning to her siblings, Hornet runs past through a few brazen fools who try to stop her. She makes a hard leap, and finds herself landing on top of the back of Tiso. The wyrm shouts in surprise before looking back and roars a few choice words at her. Rolling her eyes, she waves for both Hollow and Ghost, who both vessels gladly climb on. With the chain in hand, Hornet tries to ease Tiso to find an exit.

"Oh shut up and get us out of here!"

" _How!? They have both exits block, what do you want me to do about it? Eat through them? Nah, thanks I'll pass on that gross idea._ " 

Tiso tenses the moment he feels something swipe across the back of his head, only to sigh in relief when it was only that weird glowing nail thing so Hornet could hear his thoughts and words.

"Then dig us out of here you elongated moron!"

" _Dig!? HOW!?_ "

With no time to explain, Hornet jerks the chain downward, causing Tiso to yelp in response. He looks to the ground, testing his jaws before chancing fate. Worst thing to happen was him just face planting the arena floor, on the other hand, it meant Squib and their sister and... sibling? Yeah, all three of them would be likely killed and he back in a cage to be Tamer's pet.

Summoning forth his strength, Tiso lets out a heavy roar that shakes the arena before plowing through the ground, the Pale siblings in tow, even so much as the end of his tail to smack one of the fat fools in the face before finally disappearing. 

On the other side of the arena, two fighters cut Tamer free and help her to her feet only to be shoved aside as she runs to the hole left behind. She stares down into the darkness, eyes narrowed and hands ball into tight fists that start to shake.

"Well Tamer, maybe it's for the best... Tamer?" One fool approaches, watching her from behind.

"They stole my wyrm...."

"Pardon? Tamer are you o-AHHHH!" The fool dares to respond, only for God Tamer to whip around and forcefully grabs him by the antennae, dragging him to the edge of the hole.

"THEY STOLE **MY** WYRM!" She screams, finally letting him go to crawl away and looks back down the hole.

"Don't think you win this time Princess of Hallownest. I'll get back what I've claimed as mine... even if it means slicing you in pieces! Then.. heh, heh... guess I'll claim your crown as well!" Tamer sneers, before she lets out a crazed grin, letting out a low chuckle. How long as it been since she, herself, went on such wild hunts? Well... time to sharpen a blade and seek out what she deems... rightfully hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends!
> 
> It's good to be back into writing after suffering from a funk. I think my problem was trying to write two stories at once so to fix this I'm going to put all my focus on finishing this story first then return back to my other active story "Black and Pale and Radiant All Over", probably sometime at the end of the year/beginning of the new year.
> 
> Thank you all for your extended patience! Please enjoy!


	7. Rest and Renewal

All was calm and serene by the shores of the Blue Lake.

The gentle deep blue waters lazily lap against the edges, while faint trickles of droplets filter in from the cavernous ceiling above, feeding the lake as it continues its descent to become the rain of the infamous City of Tears. Here, it was seen as a place untouched by time, no infected foe came here to cloud these waters of golden murk and waste. Even in the kingdom's heyday, this place served as neutral grounds, neither side taking much interest in a place of little ground. 

Perhaps it was of good fortune, that the old goddess of Light did not think to carry some infected husk into this cavern, throw themselves into the lake and leak out the infection to later rain down upon every citizen in the city at once. Maybe there was no need, seeing as this was an infection of the mind made physical. There were other means of spread of course.

Now, in this moment of post infection, the hushed quiet of the lake would be disturbed by distant rumbling, only to grow more in intensity. A wall nearby would burst forward, rock and rumble tumbling away as a great mass breaks through. A few stalactites break from their hold, crashing into the lake making the still, almost glass-like appearance ripple with waves against the shoreline. The dust slowly settles, and the quiet would be denied a while longer to make way for those with voices to cough out.

With a heavy crash of rubble, Tiso proceeds to spat out rock and dirt from his jaws, shaking his head slightly side to side to get the taste out of his mouth. He lets out a drawn out grumble, muttering words under his breath of not wishing to be reminded of his old life combined with this new tunneling ability to bear repeating. It was only when he hears a second series of coughs that he looks back and remembers he has passengers.

" _Well, good going there Princess! Where the heck are we?!_ " He complains, giving Hornet a scowling frown.

Hornet for the most part, held one hand to her face, cough a few times from the dust in the air and shakes her head to free off any debris that might be clinging to her horns. To Tiso's rumblings, she doesn't bother using Ghost's dream nail to cipher his wyrm voice into understandable speech. 

"You must of been a terrible worker back in your colony, Tiso. You nearly slammed us all up against the ceiling. Watch where you place your mouth to dirt next time." She complains and once she feels she's adequately clear of grim and grit, does she dismount and surveys the area.

"It seems you've managed to take us to the Blue Lake. Congrats, you aren't as blunder-brained as I am led to believe."

A deep growl and hiss returned back to her. 

" _Big talk coming out of you! I don't see you helping out and-OW!_ " He sneers only to feel a swift kick to the lower edge of his scar and a swipe of the dream nail.

"Helping? If it wasn't for me and my siblings, you would still be kept locked up in a cage doing tricks for God Tamer who clearly is incapable of recognizing you in your current form! As it stands now, you should apologize to me, to Little Ghost, and especially Hollow who shouldn't be out of bed in the first place! I don't understand how they manage to find their way into the Colosseum, but they should receive the biggest gratitude for cutting away your tether to your 'master'." 

Hornet places the dreamnail hilt away, only to turn back to look at her siblings. Ghost merely stares back before sliding off Tiso's back, Hollow still sitting behind them. Their head was greatly lowered, remaining hand weakly grasping at a section of scales. As Hornet approaches, that familiar weak wheezing sound starts up again deep from within Hollow. 

"Hollow? Are you well?"

There would be three more wheezes, Hollow's horns slowly tilting to their left... and then they limply fall off the wyrm's back, collapsing into the sand and dirt almost face first. It was understandable for Hornet to abandon her bickering with Tiso, rushing over to grasp at the larger vessel's mask.

"Hollow! Hollow, you've weakened yourself too far. You need rest!" She hisses in panic, searching for every subtle movement to indicate they were okay, still alive if barely.

With Ghost's help, the two siblings ease the other onto their back, listening to that faint, labored breathing. Hornet leans in, pressing the side of her head against the older sibling's thorax, listening and counting the time between breaths. It almost did really like the Hollow Knight did perish, having grown still as stone. Yet, despite all this, Hornet lets out a sigh of relief.

"They live, if barely by a thread." She sighs out.

Tiso moves in, leaning over with his head and neck looming over as he exams this 'knight'. Making sure Hornet was too busy tending to her suppose 'sibling', does he make a slight face, grimacing at the tall, lanky bug's dirtied bandages and scars representing a horrible web of injuries from some sort of terrible event or fight that cost them vision in one eye, scars up and down their thorax, and most grievous of all was the missing arm, just a stump wrapped in bandages that were clearly soiled through in a strange black substance. It gives Tiso a moment to pause, moving his serpentine head and neck down to examine his own scar still visible in this new form. Though healed, he could still feel some phantom moments of pain and of course just having it lightly kicked was enough to send sparks shooting up and down his body.

Something stirs, deep within the former fighter. Something that felt constant, yet low to hear. Like some sort of thrumming sensation, as it rises to catch in his throat. The moment Hornet turns to look at him, the thrumming stops and looks to the side, only to pretend to glance back with a bored look on his face.

" _What? Their fault probably for getting into this mess if they're suppose to take it easy._ " He grumbles, feeling his long body start to coil into a tight circle.

Hornet doesn't bother using the dreamnail to translate Tiso's garble, her shoulders tensing up while hands ball into fists. It would of been easy to throw her needle into his face, push far in between his eyes and stab out that pathetic waste of matter he dare calls a brain.

"If you hadn't of gotten yourself into selfish matters, my sibling would not have exert themselves back to the point of critical. Need I remind you Tiso... that if it had not been for my skills, you would not be here to even think of challenging God Tamer again, and now here we stand. I should kill you right here and now for the amount of sheer idiocy that took root in your head!" 

She looks back to Hollow once satisfied with the sour look Tiso gives back in return to that remark, her demeanor returning to neutral. She had to be strong for her siblings, watching Ghost reach out with one tiny hand to gingerly paw at the soaked bandage over Hollow's eye. With a hum of thought, she stands up abruptly, getting Ghost to look up at her with their empty eyes.

"I can... retrieve some spare supplies back home, but I can not in good faith... carry Hollow back with us. They're in no shape for the journey a second time." Hornet announces, then proceeds to thread fresh string to her needle.

"Little Ghost. I trust you to stay here and watch Hollow while I go gather what small supplies I have left?" 

Ghost stares at her before finally nodding. Yes, they can do that. Watch over Sibling, make sure they return to healing. 

"And YOU!"

Tiso nearly jumps out of his scales when Hornet turns her attention to him, pointing the sharp end of her needle his way and catching him offguard with his gaze to the lake.

" _What?! I didn't do anything NOW! What do you want!?_ " He growls out.

"Stay here and watch over Ghost and Hollow, especially Hollow after the whole fiasco you pulled back at the Colosseum. No complaints. You wish to be recognized as a warrior? Then protect the fallen knight."

A slight snarl escapes Tiso's throat, feeling his teeth clench against each other. 

" _You're not the boss of me, Princess! I'm going back to that crazy shell head that turned me into this mess to change me back and I certainly don't need any help getting there!_ "

As Tiso turns to leave, he ends up smacking something with the end of his tail, sending it falling into the dirt with a metalic tink. He pauses, confused at first as his head swings around to inspect what it was he just hit. Something small, thin and made of metal laid on the ground, with some spots of rust beginning to show on the handle, hairline cracks forming upon an old blade. Some sort of nail, one Tiso had a vague recollection towards but couldn't pinpoint it. Still, what was some old rusty, useless piece of weaponry doing all the way out here only to be turned into some decayed piece of-

"Tiso what did you do now!?" Hornet's shout breaks Tiso's train of thought and he looks back.

" _I didn't break anything! It was already on the ground, just some useless piece of nail..._ " He rumbles out, only to trail off as he notices the small knight stare towards his direction, with a sort of 'shocked' appearance, even if they really couldn't emote.

They continued to stare on, and after a minute that felt like eternity for Tiso, finally leaves their larger sibling's side and rush over to the fallen blade in the dirt and sand. Ghost stops by the wyrm, looking up back at him with that same expressionless gaze that yet, held some sort of air of 'what did you do?' sort of feel. Their attention returns to the nail, just in time for Hornet to get a better look. Once she takes note of what it was and who it once might of belonged to, she swiftly whips around, needle in hand pointing at Tiso's muzzle and the other reaching up to yank that barbed harness still attached to him.

"Have you no respect!? Is destruction and disarray all you wish to follow behind you in your disastrous wake? Watch where you move about lest I take that chain still attached and leave you tethered up to serve as garpede bait!?" She snaps.

Tiso struggles slightly in his harness, wincing to the familiar bite of the rusty barbs.

" _It was an accident! Calm down lady! Why get so worked up over a old, rusty hunk of...oh._ "

It was in the middle of his complaining that Hornet yanks the harness enough for him to watch the scene play out. Ghost knelt before the old nail, staring down at it before gingerly picking it up. It was nearly twice as long as them, yet the small knight was able to get the nail back upright, pressing it into the sand and stone once more. When it felt secure, do they add some more stones around the end of the nail, ensuring it would remain better upright now. Upon completion, they gaze up at the blade, taking one tiny paw to press against the flat side, staring at their reflection that barely shown back from the weapon's age. 

Something stirred in Tiso, and as his vision blurred and refocused, instead of a nail, he sees his shield, old and rusted as if forgotten. He blinks and the nail returns back in place. Would the vessel had done the same... for him, if he had fallen completely at the colosseum the first time? To prop up his shield nearby as a memorial, even though he was rather rude to them in the beginning of meeting them?

Tiso's eyes droop to the ground, releasing a muffled yet quiet grumble. Only then did Hornet releases her grip before turning away from him.

"Think twice before desecrating an old warrior's marker. I'll return soon."

With that, Hornet takes aim with her needle, tossing it across the lake where it flies through the air, thread following along before her body jerks forward going for the ride. Soon as she was gone from sight, does Tiso hmphs in disdain. He wasn't going to let her boss him around like that, surely... at least not with her present and not pointing that sharp needle at his face every time he makes an apparent wrong move. Taking one quick look to the small knight still gazing upon the nail and then to the tall, lanky injured sibling of theirs, still unmoving as they laid crumbled on the sands, the foolish wyrm makes his way to the water's edge.

He gazes down at his reflection, taking in his new appearance and tries flexing his mouth open and closed, only to wince when the barbs of the harness begin to dig in. There needs to be a way to get that thing off him. Tiso continues to stare, until at last his staring grants him to lean forward, splashing his muzzle into the cool waters. Mouth wide to as much as he could without getting barbed, the wyrm cranes his head back up, gulping down the cool and refreshing water down his gullet. 

Again, Tiso cranes back down and up several times, each rise with a mouthful of water, easing his stomach to quell it from the aching of hunger for now. One more gulp and he pauses, allowing the ripples to slowly settle down. Here, he had hoped to see his old self once again, that spunky ant with a fighting attitude worthy to challenge the Colosseum for the title of glory. Instead, the same elongated wedge shaped muzzle and scales greeted him back, the wyrm in the water looking disappointed in what they were seeing.

" _I'm... stuck like this aren't I? No chance of ever being normal again and becoming champion. So... what do I do now then? Not like I have some... magic powers or seeing visions or whatever wyrms do._ " He grumbles, feeling his new teeth grit down before letting off the pressure. 

It was at that moment he feels something, something cool gingerly touch the scar on his belly scales. It felt... refreshing, like the lake water for it did not sting when tender skin was pressed upon. Tiso turns his attention down, eyes matching up with that of the little Pale Thing. Ghost stares back up, removing their hand from the other, still staring up with those empty eyes. Before Tiso could try to mutter a word, the vessel moves in with arms wide open, pressing themselves against the wyrm's body. 

A hug, they forgave Tiso for the mistake earlier for he did not know it was a memorial. 

" _Pale Thing... what are you doing?_ " Tiso manages to rumble out, face squinted in confusion with a touch of annoyance. 

But as the knight continues to stay firmly planted against Tiso's side, the other feels their body release from prior tension, and his face softens to the realization. When was the last time he received a hug, a genuine hug? A hug from someone who cares back for him, even at his lowest point? He felt his jaws tremble faintly, only for him to clamp them still. 

" _Uh.. T-thanks, I guess. You don't have to hold onto me forever..._ "

Still no response from Ghost, who still clung to Tiso as if their little life depended on it. A tremble wiggles its way down Tiso's back and with a deep sigh, leans his head down. Gently, he pushes into Ghost in an attempt to free himself from the vessel's grasp. Only then do they let go, looking up at him with those empty eyes, though, maybe not so empty. A hand reaches up, tapping on the end of his nose before pointing towards Hollow, still laying in the sand with the only indication they lived was the faint movement of labored breathing. 

Tiso turns his attention back towards the fallen, grumbling to himself on what the little Squib wanted from him. He supposed that it could be that the knight wanted him to do something for their sibling. Maybe make them comfortable? Provide company perhaps? 

"Alright Squib, what do you want me to do before I change my mind and leave you two to find that stupid shell head shaman to change me back?" He asks, voice rumbling with a lazy flick of the end of his tail.

Despite not having the dreamnail, Ghost surprisingly seemed to figure out what Tiso was trying to convey. They knelt down, taking one hand to draw a spiral in the sand, ending in the center with a crudely drawn head of Tiso. The wyrm watches carefully, confused as to why this pale thing wanted him to curl up, but if that's what they want, sounds simple enough. So long as he wasn't doing any sort of hard work, he'll deal with curling up.

Length by length, the coils start to bind, forming a near perfect spiral with Tiso's last upper half in the middle, leaving room in the center to finish curling up if he desired to lay upon one of those loops. His eyes remained on Ghost, who watches and waits till they believe Tiso to be in the ideal position, only to turn away and back to their much taller sibling. With a gentle pat of their hand, they nudge the other's shoulder, trying to get them to attempt getting up. The only response that came from the Hollow Knight would be the continued labored wheezing. They really were in rough shape, weren't they?

Ghost looks back to Tiso, gesturing with their extended hand to come closer. He does so, getting a faint old scent off the taller knight's form. It smelt foul and sickly sweet to twist his stomach in unpleasant ways. Some form of old wounds probably, the scent of injury and infection clinging to them like a sponge. Still, even with the foul odor clogging his senses, Tiso had no choice but to continue following the small pale thing's gestures. It seemed like they were trying to get the other back up, with not much effort.

" _Okay fine, but you owe me one._ " Tiso mutters.

Jaws open, teeth sharp enough to snip a bug half, yet gingerly picks up the fallen warrior. Originally his mind was set to get them back on their feet and be done with it but once Hollow was grasped, something... strange starts tugging in the back of Tiso's mind. Was it the work of the knight or something to do with this new form, he won't quite know. 

Slowly and with care never seen from Tiso before, he lowers them to the center of his coils and once nestled into this 'nest', is there a sign of movement from Hollow. A slight hand twitch once or twice, followed by them struggling to roll to one side. At last they rest their head against one coil, releasing a slow wheezing sigh of cold breath only to settle into an eerie stillness. Tiso tenses, expecting the taller sibling to be dead after all that effort.

Thankfully for his part, Ghost would climb up over his many coils to reach the center, giving Hollow a look over. They place a hand to the side of Hollow's mask, waiting a moment or two before gazing back up to Tiso, giving him a small nod. Good, the lanky bug was just resting, finally comfortable enough to fall asleep. 

" _Wait a sec!? All this time you just wanted me to grubsit them? Do I look like your mama to you?! Wake them up, I'm not gonna serve as someone else's pillow!_ " 

Tiso's complaint only results in his voice being vibrating garbles with a slight hiss. It should of been enough to wake the vessel up. Instead, they barely nuzzle into a section of scale, actually finding comfort in the vibrations. Ghost watches intently, not wanting to see their efforts of freeing their sibling go to waste, not now. They turn back to Tiso again, staring with those empty, dark eyes and even though they revealed nothing of any emotion, it would be Tiso who felt some sort of pleading look in those eyes.

He lets out a groan, rolling his own eyes with a muttered 'fine' under his breath and begins lowering his head down to rest beside the two vessels. Ghost moves in, reaching to pat Tiso alongside his muzzle. It felt... comforting and the wyrm finds himself with eyes growing heavy. Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing, at least the larger of the two wasn't causing him any trouble. Ghost, quietly pleased with the results, turns to view Hollow one more time before hopping off, heading off who knows where. Well, so long as Hornet got back soon, he could stand to wait a minute.. or two... or...

Tiso's eyes grew heavier, now struggling to keep them open. He sighs out, surrendering at last to slumber. 

The next thing he knows, he's back surrounded by darkness, familiar and yet foreboding. At once he tenses up, head darting back and forth to spot out those shapes in the darkness. On cue, here they come, slithering and wiggling in the background of nothingness but a vague silhouette. He freezes, eyes wide as he watches the shapes of Wyrms and so far, they didn't notice him at first. Maybe if he remained still, they won't go after him again for being a fake wyrm. Almost.

" _IMPOSTOR!_ "

The roar in the distance manages to shake Tiso to his core, and again he feels all those glowing eyes lock onto him. They hiss and snarl, shaking their heads in rage that this fake wyrm dare appears again. The form of the giant of wyrms appears, the Elder Wyrm. Its eyes seemed to be like great nails, stabbing through Tiso's new body with each second that passes.

" _You can't be one of us! You will never BE one of us!_ "

In an instant, Tiso curls up, shaking like a leaf.

'I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it, I'm trying to change back, I swear!' His mind cries out, coils growing tighter the more he hears those terrible roars and snarls. 

" _Not one of us! Not one of us! Destroy the impostor!_" The voices and thoughts of the other divine beasts rang out, seemingly shaking the black ground Tiso laid on. 

The great shape of the Elder Wyrm roars out, dissatisfied with the answer the fool gave. With a great wail, it charges forth, maw open with eyes all the more glaring towards him. Behind it, the other wyrms seem to charge forth, their roars becoming stronger, louder, enough to drown Tiso of all thought and...

Something from the darkness moves in, something trying to push itself into his mind. He dares to open one eye underneath one of his coils, only to be greeted with a pale white light. 

_Tiso.... Tiso..._

A shape starts to emerge from the light, and it calls out his name through his thoughts, dark black eyes staring back at him.

_TISO!_

White eyes flash open, and what was once darkness with shadows that seemed to constantly want him exterminated disappeared to reveal the Blue Lake once again. It takes him a moment to realize he was awake, body still shaking from the strange dream. With a groan, he starts to move his head up off his coiled body... only to realize something was pressed to the side of his face.

Blinking to refocus, his sight leads him to the form curled up in the middle of his coils, with their remaining hand pressed against the side of his muzzle. Sharp black claws that could easily leave a mark upon those scales, barely clacked as fingers curl in gently only to stretch back out again. Amazing, really, how something deadly could be so gentle. Hollow, who had been resting earlier, had been awoken by Tiso's apparent shaking in his own nap, had decided on their own to try to calm the wyrm down, even if they themselves still felt very weak to do much other than give him gentle pets.

" _He-hey now! I don't need cuddling or petting or whatever you're trying to do! I wasn't having some bad dream where wyrms wanna eat me for being one like them! No, no, I can handle it myself! Don't need some... weak, stinky, cold... hand resting on me like I'm some grub. You're not my...My..._ " He starts, grumbling mostly to himself only for those light pets turn into wider strokes, fingers carefully running up and down the side of his cheek. It felt... nice.

" _Okay fine... just, keep doing what you think you're doing if it makes you feel better._ "

Hollow would continue, running their hand from cheek to snoot and back again, slow and gentle. The cool touch felt comforting for once, instead of a cold stinging sensation from either the surface winds or some of the cavern water that dripped though the rocks. As the recovering vessel continues, Tiso could feel his shaking starting to dissipate, only to find that the hand was still shaking, still dealing with pain and fatigue. It was enough for the former ant to lower his head down so Hollow didn't have to stretch their remaining arm out all the way. 

With no other distractions and Hollow laying in a way to get a better look at them outside of the Colosseum arena, Tiso could see the horrible scars all over their body, making his look like a mere grass cut to the finger. How could such a bug survive this amount of damage when his own nearly cost him his life? It was bad enough to gaze upon the webbing of scars trying to mend over ruined shell and flesh, but adding the fact they lacked an arm, now reduced to a mere stump with a flesh webbed entanglement of scaring and bandaging over one eye, Tiso could not stop the squeezing clenching of his own guts.

Something like that could of happened to him, something far worse than a mawlek flopping on top of him like a mere rain puddle.

" _You really took a beating... didn't ya? What did you do to get in such a rough shape? A normal bug would of like... died from wounds as grievous as yours._ " He rumbles, moving his head back away to end the petting.

" _But you're no ordinary bug, are ya? Just like the Pale thing... You two related or something?_ "

Tiso knew this bug wouldn't understand what he was saying, not without the strange ethereal device that last he remembered, Hornet was in possession of. In response, Hollow's hand lowers a bit before pausing, giving the other a barely noticeable tilt of the head. Curious? Confused? Or likely the fact, that they were still concern over Tiso only for the weakness to return to their remaining arm. It flops down without much struggle, returning to curl back under the shredded remains of their cloak. Even so, their eye remains on the wyrm's face, staring back without anything nudge of movement.

" _Not much of a talker either? Yeah, you and Squib must be related. Must be... nice to have someone look out for you, actually putting in the effort to include you in their circle, and not just.. a number._ " 

With a heavy sigh, the former ant moves his head in closer, seemingly giving Hollow a gentle nudge with the end of his muzzle. The vessel moves their own head upwards, curious at first. Without any other sign, they press back, as if in understanding before returning to rest back in Tiso's coils. They place their hand over their good eye, letting out their own breath of icy cold air to relax and let their injuries continue to heal. The puff of cold air was enough for Tiso to tremble, concluding to a realization that Hollow was cold. Maybe they needed to warm up? 

Of course with no blankets or leafy coverings to serve as some means of comfort, the wyrm turns his attention towards the lake. Barely, he could see his reflection at an angle. He takes a moment to study himself flexing his head and neck side to side. Ah! There, he had a hunch and hadn't fully forgotten one of his new wyrm features, in mockery of his original form. 

" _Hmm... Let's see if this works, as ridiculous as it seems._ " 

Tiso eases his head down, resting it on a coil beside the Hollow Knight as they rested. He winces and flexes his face and neck, trying to figure out how to push out the thin stretch of skin hidden between two rolls of scales and plating. It would take him a moment or so, before the scaly hood finally flexes out. He plays with it a couple times, flexing in and out until at last he allows it to stay spread out, and to his mild amusement, was just wide enough on one side to provide a nice little 'cover' for Hollow with only the ends of their horns poking through. It'll do for now till Hornet came back, hopefully with blankets in tow for the injured knight.

Something presses into his throat, feeling what could only be describe as a faint nuzzle. In response, Tiso subconsciously begins making that familiar thrumming sound. For now, he hasn't the mental strength, or at least cares enough to stop himself from this strange wyrm behavior. 

Nor does he notice the faint pitter-patter of feet returning from exploring the nearby caverns. 

Ghost gazes up at the huge wyrm's body, at his eyes starting to droop from constant thrumming that also eases him of his previous tensions. The smaller vessel looks down at their hands, the vengefly slain to give to Tiso. Well, they could give him the snack later. Whatever he was doing with Hollow looked very comfortable and cozy and by wyrm, they wanted some of that too! 

So putting away the fresh kill, Ghost hops up with their monarch wings until they reached the top. From there, they wiggle under the stretched out hood, finding Hollow pressed up under the side of Tiso's chin. Determined, they wiggle their way till at last they were sandwich between sibling and friend, finding it very comfortable and cozy. Hollow twitches, hand reaching out before curling their full arm around Ghost, pulling them in to their thorax before letting out another relaxed sigh, cold air getting the wyrm to shiver slightly, muttering under his breath till he readjusts himself and returns back to rest. At least this time his mind would not be plagued again by the shadows of those godly, angry beasts.

The steady trickling of water entering the Blue Lake provides the trio with a gentle melody from which they could rest to. Quiet, serene, peaceful. Perhaps one of Tiso's better naps, dozing with both eyes closed and body lax in its coils. They all never hear the whoosh sound cutting the air, nor the sound of metal clinking on rock. Fabric settles down belonging to that of a familiar crimson cloak. A moment of silence, staring at the napping wyrm with an arm full of supplies bundled up in a simple blanket.

Hornet debates waking the fool up, noting the stretched out hood of his covering the center of his coils. Her free hand flinches, reaching for the handle of her needle but not to throw it at Tiso's direction, nor beyond it. Instead, she slowly approaches the group, her eyes now casting upwards and seeing the ends of Hollow's horns peeking out. She releases a silent sigh of relief before casting her gaze towards Tiso again. 

He still wears the rusty barbed chain harness over his muzzle, with a small amount of chain dangling in a pile on the sand. For a brief moment Hornet did considered undoing the locking mechanism keeping it tightly bound to his face... but not now. If the fool was to learn his lesson and free himself from these chains, then he'll have to earn it. Otherwise, it'd be to easy for him to slither back foolishly to God Tamer and this fiasco will start all over again.

So for now, Hornet places her things gently down on the sand next to the wyrm's side. Needle now slung back behind her, she slides down to lean against Tiso, waiting for her siblings to rest up. If Hollow was comfortable, then her disturbing them just to change bandages and provide some form of nourishment would halter their healing progress. Hornet, patient the huntress she was, finds herself nestled up, letting out a slightly soft sigh while hands pull out a small wad of old silk thread and proceeds to play string games with her hand, twisting them into mock web designs, though far too simple to be compared to fancy weaver work.

She would wait, playing with her string twisted about her fingers, so long as she felt she and her family were safe... plus one more.


	8. A Safe Haven?

Hornet welcomed the warm air that wafted against her shell, the floral scents of flowers beckoning her and her party forward as cold stony cavern tunnels make way for the vast open chambers of plush moss and green foliage. 

She takes a breath, allowing the earthy scents of Greenpath to feel her core, prime hunting grounds as they were. It brought with it that sense of ease from the journey over here, her body normally tense at all times eases for a moment. Greenpath may be purged of infection like the rest of the kingdom, but that did not meant it was devoid of its natural dangers. So after exhaling, Hornet's body goes back to alert, eyes watching everywhere from the moment a flower pedal falls to the movement of the acid running through a small stream.

And then she nearly jumps out of her shell the moment she hears that heavy snort behind her. 

Her left hand grips tighter, remember the end of the old chain she held before gazing over her shoulder. Tiso stares at this new location with Ghost riding on top of his head and Hollow on his back, head pressed up against those scales while they rested, still too weak to take to walking the distance and certainly in no shape to swim across the Blue Lake. Good thing Tiso's new form seemed to take to water like a natural, having earlier complained he was not a great swimmer, seeing no need for it. Now, with his wyrm body, traveling was getting easier and easier despite himself.

" _Ugh, what's that stench... it smells like something died and puked up its stomach!?_ " He complains only to flinch when he feels Hornet take a swing at him with the dreamnail.

"Acid waters, it's what keeps Greenpath this lush and alive. What, does the 'great warrior Tiso' not know of this part of Hallownest?" She responds, mocking in tone towards the end.

"Actually it's not as strong to my senses, it used to be much worse in the days of infection."

That gets her a roll of eyes before another heavy snort of air.

" _Yeah well it probably burned your senses enough to not notice anymore._ " 

Hornet gives him one look, the kind that was easily a warning and only warning he would receive. Within seconds of that tell-tale look, Tiso yelps as the chain is yanked, sending some of the barbs on his muzzle harness to lightly bite into his face. He groans, releasing a low grumbling growl. If Tiso had it his way, he'd find a means to get out of this retched harness and give that spider a piece of his mind. Though, currently, his head was being a perch for the small knight who watches the two interactions before hopping off, monarch wings spaced out to slow their descent to the ground. 

Safely on the mossy floor, they turn back to Tiso, staring up at him for a moment before their gaze move back on Hollow. The bigger vessel doesn't seem fazed by the yelp, seemingly comfortable in the crook of Tiso's back with Hornet's blanket draped over them. The only indication they gave to the sudden movement was the slight head nuzzle, pressing the end of their mask between two back scales to reach the soft skin underneath, finding it comfortable once again and settled back down against their living 'pillow'. 

Tiso turns to look back at feeling the weird nuzzle against his back and once Hollow seems relaxed does he eases as well. 

"It would be wise Tiso that you tone down the mockery. Remember, I can easily yank your chain and tether you to a rock strong enough to keep you in place."

" _So why don't you just take this thing off me!? Gosh Princess, you're nearly as bad as God Tamer..._ "

Another swipe, another flinch, and Tiso mentally swears there has to be a better way to just have a conversation with anyone. Hornet flexes her grip on the chain and the dreamnail, only to place it away inside her cloak. 

"Because Tiso, you need to earn your release. Simple as that. Once I deem you trustworthy enough to handle your form and its abilities without risk of going... feral, then we can talk about removing the harness. Until then it stays as a reminder of your ongoing foolishness."

With a heavy snort, the wyrm could only give Hornet a glare lest any form of lashing out, even verbally, could land him hollering in pain from a heavy yank of chains for that barbed harness to dig into his face again. Hornet returns with her own intensive stare, watching all the minute details of Tiso's body language, figuring him out before she makes her next move.

"Before we go any further Tiso, you are to vow not to discuss what I am willing to show you with my siblings to anyone else. This is of private matters, ones I hold close for personal reasons. Do you understand?" She states, her middle puffing up as she sizes the other, an intense stare down of two stubborn headed beings.

" _Yeah, yeah, whatever makes you sleep better at night. Just get on with it, your bigger sibling's starting to put a kink in my back. Do I really have to carry them everywhere?!_ "

"Hollow's in no condition to be walking, not after that stunt they pulled to free you from your bonds. They're suppose to be recovering, not exacerbate their injuries further into critical health. Be thankful you only need to carry them a little further on, we don't have much further to go." Hornet replies, once she places away the dreamnail. 

"And do mind the acid streams, Greenpath may appear tranquil and safe, but it is riddled with dangers most bugs may not take notice until it is too late."

That warning gives Tiso a moment to pause, immediately allowing a fleeting second for his paranoia to seep back in. His eyes and head jerk side to side, mind plaguing his vision with illusions of mawleks and other giant beasts to come crashing down on him. What if there were too many of the nasties for him to overpower, even as a wyrm now? He had no magical powers and now was starting to doubt he had a wyrm's strength as well, just his own, only more... noodle?

A hand presses to one of his belly scales, getting Tiso to snap out of it. He cranes his head down, seeing the little wanderer look back up, their tiny hand pressed before offering Tiso a few gentle pats. It seems like they were trying to bring an effort into calming the fool down, to show that if there was danger, they would be there to help protect him. Tiso feels his jaw move side to side, his new strange teeth working together to grind, trying to calm down. If the Pale thing thought everything was going to be alright, then surely it would mean...

Another, larger hand presses up against the back of his neck and it doesn't take Tiso long to realize it belonging to the passenger on his back. Hollow, now just awake long enough to lift their head up, also pets a section of scales, their own claws gentle to rake up and down the skin between scales, even making little circles. That alone, with Ghost's own actions aided, melts the anxious wyrm. Before he knows it, Tiso feels his throat rumble, deep within that is barely heard by most bugkind.

" _Mmm... Okay. Maybe this ain't so bad... Lead the way Princess. Just make sure you let me catch up for once! Ya littl'... jumpy thing!_ " He finally mumbles out, nodding his head forward to signal to Hornet.

Unamuse, Hornet allows the small bout of affection from the vessels if it meant getting some reaction out of Tiso to follow. Chain in hand, she turns to follow down the secret path back to her burrow. Though, Tiso was right, it would of been easier to toss her needle ahead and fly along for the ride. To leap through the air and jump about from edge to edge along the moss had been her staple of travel through these familiar grounds. That was in the past, or at least on pause for now with having a moron changed into a mythical god-beast tethered behind. She was not above cruelty by any means, those chains will come off eventually. 

Hornet just had to be sure as she glances back, watching Ghost hop and play alongside Tiso while Hollow looks on, perched safely on Tiso's back. Sure that the former ant wasn't going to fully succumb to ancient wyrm instincts and either start seeing what remains of the kingdom as a meal, or ends up leaving to follow other ancient wyrm needs, ones for those who have not or not interested in ascending forms. 

From what she's witnessed at the colosseum, that reality was close, too close for comfort. She'll see to it that such events don't happen again. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Through some twisting paths and nearly getting burned once or twice by a surprise small stream of acid, Tiso finally sees where Hornet and her siblings have taken him. A small meadow of sorts, with the cavern nook just ahead. Focusing on the path of rocks that he could easily make out (of course he could, an ant knew construction of rubble anywhere), following it till his vision lays upon the small flap of moss covered cloth used to camouflage Hornet's secret burrow dwelling.

" _So... this is where you hide out? Hm..was expecting something more.. gr-YOWCH! Will you quit hitting me so hard with that stupid glowy nail thing just to understand me!? Sheesh Princess._ " He retorts, grumbling to himself as Hornet withdraws the dreamnail, handing it back to Ghost.

"If you were expecting a royal abode, you must be mistaken. That palace crumbled into nothing long ago. Nothing remains but the shadows of what once was, and the regret stained behind. You won't find any riches among the rock and ruin there." 

Surveying the area one more time, Hornet at last allows her tension to relax for the time being. If they were followed, it'd likely be curious eyes from the locals at seeing a young wyrm inside Greenpath, or just the wildlife trying to hide away from the big new predator. They would be safe here, and finally she can set Hollow back to their bed to properly heal.

Speaking of which, the larger vessel was now fully awake, holding onto their blanket draped over their shoulders with their remaining hand. That empty eye stares onward, focused on nothing in particular, until Hornet lets go of the chain. It clanks to the mossy ground, giving Tiso a bit of a distraction while the spider retreats to the burrow. She isn't gone long and soon returns with a rather large metal pike. Where she acquired such a old weapon was anyone's guess, likely picked off a corpse to use for trap building. 

Whatever the case, she stands in the middle of the small green of moss, eyes locking with that of her older sibling. 

"Hollow, you may get off now and return to your bed. You still need rest, considering the amount of Soul spent likely trying to reach the Colosseum to our aide."

There's a tense moment with Hollow as they sat there. Still unmoving, it would seem as the seconds tick by that they were content with staying put on top of Tiso's back. The only indication of movement would come in the form of their large horns tilting forward ever so slightly. It would be the only warning the former ant would get before feeling cold shell against his scales. Shivers ripple up and down in the blink of an eye and Tiso looks back, distracted at seeing the larger vessel face-planting. He swore he could feel small puffs of cold breath, coming in shallow waves.

" _Hey, uh... do what your sister says. Hornet's yer sister, right? Ye-yeah, I'd listen to her if I were you, or else she's not gonna be happy about..._ " Tiso starts, rumbling slightly only to cut off at the sound of a single thump.

Whipping his head back around, eyes go wide at the realization that the end of the chain was now firmly set into the ground, the metal pole no longer in Hornet's hands but instead being used as a makeshift stake, keeping the chain firmly in place. Tiso is quick to get it a jerk with his head, trying desperately to yank the whole piece out of the ground. Instead, it's the ole' barbs on his harness to reward him for his efforts and cries out at the stings.

Something slides off his back and to his grief, it's Hollow with their blanket still wrapped around their tall, lanky frame all the while struggling to walk a few teeth at a time before needing to kneel for a short rest. 

" _Hey! No fair, what's with chaining me up like some animal!? Very funny Princess! Haha, let's chain up Tiso, we'll all have a laugh! No, seriously, what gives!?_ "

Thankfully this time, Tiso was prepared. Hornet gestures to Ghost to hand the dreamnail back over to which the small vessel does so, looking more curious at this turn of events. The wyrm tenses up, watching that ethereal light emerge from the handle and swiped across his side. Despite being prepared, he was unable to prevent that flinching. Maybe he would never get over it. Probably something due to his scar and the reaction from anything moving across it automatically causing him to flinch. 

"You're staying put here. I don't trust you to remain in one place, considering that growing appetite of yours. So, for safety's sake over my siblings as well as the surrounding wildlife, you are to remain in place till I deem it otherwise unnecessary. Until then, you will serve as watch for the time being. I'm sure you are more than capable of performing this feat even tethered."

A deep growl rumbles from Tiso and finds himself flashing teeth for a mere moment. Hornet stands her ground, body tensing as if ready for a fight. Instead, it would be little Ghost, who quells the tension, stepping in between them. They gaze up, staring at Tiso before moving their head down to meet the gaze of their half sister. Hornet returns the gaze, eyes sharp till the faint bit of movement to her left distracted her. Her eyes catch that of Hollow, now pawing at a patch of soft moss with their remaining hand before finally crumbling down to lay on this soft bed. Truth be told, they didn't really want to go back inside the burrow and rest, they wanted to be out here, help keep an eye on Tiso even if they were of a weakened state.

"Fine, little Ghost. I'm sure you are able to keep Tiso in check. I'm going to hunt. Keep watch over Hollow as well till my return and for my own personal sanity, don't go off on anything foolish." Hornet was quick to say and before Tiso would snarl his protest, she tosses the dreamnail handle back to Ghost then throws her needle off, disappearing along with it.

" _Feh, she could of just said she didn't want to hang around_." Tiso would mutter before turning his attention back to Ghost.

" _Alright Squib, yer not as dumb as they look. Gonna undo this harness off me and let me go or are ya just gonna stand around while your bigger sib plays nappy time?_ "

The knight would gaze back, eyes empty of any forewarning or emotion that Tiso could pick up on with ease. Just a blank expression, standing there like a tiny doll in comparison to his new size. For a moment, he starts to wonder if this tiny pale thing was all there, lost in their own head and ignoring his gutteral growls. Just staring, silence between the pair with only the ambiance of Greenpath to break the awkward stillness. Then, finally, does Ghost move, one small black arm reaching into one side of the cloak, searching for something.

In one fluid motion, they hold up into the air like a well earned prize: Tiso's shield.

" _Hey! That's my shield! You saved my shield! That's a relief, I thought for sure it was lost back at the Edge... Gimme!_ " 

Tiso reaches in, jaws opening to snatch his prized weapon out of Ghost's hand. Well, it would of been easy for him had it not been for the chain yanking him back and harness full of rusty barbs to press into his face. He backs up, warbling out in pain from his mistake, shaking his head side to side whilst antennae flatten against his head. Once he regains himself, Ghost still remains in place, unmoving say for their arm lowering with the shield. Were they to put it away for safe keeping? Not like Tiso had any use for a now tiny weapon in his current form. 

Instead, Ghost holds up the shield again and this time swings their arm side ways, releasing the shield into the air. This catches Tiso off guard and with eyes wide and reflects sharp, he tries to snatch the shield mid-air as it flew by, missing it by mere inches. It falls down behind him, landing in the soft moss. Ghost now takes this moment to dash across the meadow, picking up the shield to hold back up towards the wyrm. There's a small growl of annoyance but nothing more comes from it.

" _Hey Pale Thing, my shield isn't for tossing! It's a very important tool and I'm not gonna-HEY!_ " Tiso rumbles only to yelp as he's once again not prepared as the shield comes flying for his head. 

He tries to snatch at it again, watching instead as he misses and it falls down to moss below with Ghost fast behind to scoop it back up. The end of Tiso's tail twitches back and forth, his mind trying to figure out what this little wanderer was trying to do with him and his shield? Again, they hold the shield up in the air, wiggling it as if trying to entice Tiso. The way the cavern light hits it now, gives the old shield a nice shimmer. Something that seems... attractive for the young wyrm.

With another toss, Ghost lets go the shield into the air, Hollow quietly watching along. Their head moves side to side, following the motion of these actions as they lay in their favored patch of moss, also intrigued by this activity. The shield rises up, Tiso squaring up in his coils. As it passes by, his maw opens, snatching the shield into his jaws with a firm yet careful hold. In response, Ghost pulls out both hands, clapping them rapidly in applause. The praise, as it turned out, washes over the young wyrm's body and he manages to grin while still holding his shield. Even the end of his tail was buzzing with joy, wiggling about. So... this was a game all along?

Now that he caught on to what Ghost was trying to convey, the vessel holds their arms up into the air, hopping in place a few times. Though it was with a tad reluctance, Tiso leans down to drop the shield, trusting they won't do any harm to it. With it back in their hands, Ghost rushes for the opposite side, tossing it into the air the moment they stop. Again, Tiso watches intently, antennae now held up high and forward with keen interest. He snaps at the shield, missing it as it wobbles from the near hit. Whipping around, there's Ghost already waiting to catch the shield and throws it back at Tiso. He grins with a chuckle, finding this rather... fun. Jaws snap mid-air and finds the shield held in place.

Ghost would be hopping up and down, reaching up for Tiso excitedly. Never had the former ant seen the pale thing this excited over... anything really. They had been serious in their mission, barely stopping for rest as they continued onward on some quest or mission that brought them here to Hallownest. Now it was presumed that that mission had something to do with their siblings, thus it seems that all that silent, eerily still moments where Tiso would question whether or not they were real or alive at all would be tossed away like dust in the wastes revealing the once stoic knight to be just a child, looking for family. 

He leans down, dropping the shield once again next to the vessel. Tiny hands reach up past the shield and instead gently press against the scales on his muzzle. They move in tiny circles, rubbing their hands enough that something stirs within the wyrm. Tiso presses into that touch, eyes starting to close half-way. Deep within his throat, comes a low rumble unlike his previous rumbles that with the dreamnail would translate to his words. Instead, it was rhythmic, almost a purr. Something about it kept him continuing feeling those tiny hands reach closer to pet him under a cheek. And just like that... Ghost moves their hands away, returning to picking up the shield once more, preparing to play with it again.

'What am I doing?! I shouldn't be playing around like this. Not with trouble nearby and Squib's sister off doing who knows what. Probably watching us from some hiding hole ready to stick that needle through my eye or something! Yet... this still feels... nice. Maybe, just a few more minutes. Yeah? Couldn't hurt...' Tiso thought to himself once he blinks back a moment of clarity. 

Returning to his main focus, Tiso hones in on his shield, head moving to follow where ever Ghost held it around. Signaling they were ready, the vessel tosses the shield into the air, watching it fly. Tiso coils back, just short of pulling his chain before springing forth. His jaws snap open and close with a loud clack of teeth, only to find them empty of shield to grasp. His vision manages to follow it flying behind him and it was at that moment it was caught mid-air by a single large black hand.

Both Tiso and Ghost go still, watching on as Hollow held the shield. Back on their feet and blanket discarded, the larger vessel appears to merely observe the weapon, turning it this way and that in what looked like mild curiosity. Slowly, they peer back up, returning to their statue-like posture with the shield held close to their body. Maybe it was a sign for the pair to quell the antics with them still on the mends?

Quite the opposite, as Hollow stands back up, holding the shield behind their shoulder before releasing it forward at a much faster speed. 

Now it definitely was a game, with Tiso going back and forth trying to 'catch' the shield and Hollow and Ghost going back and forth tossing across the eager wyrm. If anything, this was better improvement on Hollow's condition and for Tiso, better honing in on his striking skills if he's going to defend himself somehow until he faces the Colosseum champion to change back.

Until that moment comes, he was content with getting along with the sibling duo, providing the interaction and enrichment he wouldn't of had once upon a time in a colony. Here, it was two siblings and their new friend having a moment of fun and peace.

Hollow's movements also seem to improve, taking fewer breaks before returning to their composure that was neither completely hunched over, nor standing straight and tall as they once did in the past. Maybe once or twice their foot would catch on a patch of moss and stumble but not enough for the bigger vessel to fall completely down. Their hand reaches up, catching the shield when Tiso just barely misses with a snap of his jaws. It's always a more gentle toss now, Hollow enjoying this game even when Tiso does manage to catch his shield, it's offered back to them to toss once more.

Ghost hops up and down, eager to catch the shield again, just having the time of their small life. As they do, something in a thick patch of moss and ferns begins to rustle behind the vessel. They pause, turning around to stare at the cluster of plant life, even so much as to tilt their head to one side. Only when nothing occurred over the course of a few minutes, did they finally look away.

" _What cha lookin' at Squib?_ " Tiso attempts to ask, trying to peer closer over Ghost's head before the end of his chain grows taunt, preventing him from getting even closer.

The brush rustles more, only for a black space with white eyes to peer up, staring Ghost down. That was the only warning given before a great mass of moss charges forth out into the open. 

The small vessel just moves out of the way in time as a Massive Moss Charger appears, running full speed before slamming headfirst into the side of Tiso. The wyrm roars out, not so much in pain, but just by the sheer shock of the surprise. Sure it hurt, but thanks to his new scales, what would plow him into the dirt from a charge attack, felt more like one of God Tamer's teasing punches to the shoulder. With a snarl, he goes in for a counter attack, only to watch as the big creature disappears into the mossy ground.

Back on their feet and nail drawn, Ghost looks to square up against the raging beast. They had defeated one before, one that was infected. This one, however, was still naturally wild and unpredictable. They rush over to put themselves between Tiso and Hollow against this foe only for the Charger to leap up from the moss, heading straight for them instead. A swing of the nail and it only manages to cut away some of the moss covering the bigger bug.

Chains rattle from Tiso with his head whipping out to try and catch the fiend disturbing the group's time. A quick, pained yelp reminds him of his predicament. He looks back, glaring at the pole keeping the end of the chain down before casting his gaze towards Hollow. The bigger vessel merely gazes back, not acting out from their sibling in the midst of their fight. They knew they were not back to handling a nail anytime soon, that road still had some bridges to cross. Unless...

" _Hey! Undo my chain, we gotta help yer sibling out! Don't just stand there, I've seen what you can do with that longnail. Let me at 'em!_ "

Hollow stares back, their mask tilts slightly to one side as if in curiosity over the garbling growls from Tiso. Their attention now falls on the end of the chain, the lance still firmly placed through the link. In the background would be Ghost, their nail plinking off the Massive Moss Charger's back while the creature continues to duck and dive through the thick foliage. While, yes, Ghost has slain one before and a second should be of no problem, the biggest issue would be alerting Hornet. That's the last thing Tiso needed was to get an earful from her for 'luring it in' somehow despite being a good wyrm and staying put as he was told. 

Tiso's concentration was quickly diverted when he feels the chain go slack. He looks back, seeing the Hollow Knight having plucked the lance from the ground to release his chain, treating it as if it were a mere daisy to be pulled. He blinks, eyes lining up for a moment before Hollow gives him a single nod. That's all the changed fool needed to see.

Nail ready, Ghost prepares to dodge and strike the big creature yet again. They poise at the ready, weapon held out to their side. On cue comes the Massive Moss Charger and immediately begins to gallop for the vessel. Well, it would have had it not been for a set of jaws to snatch down whilst grabbing the creature's sides. It shrieks out, limbs flailing as Tiso lifts his head up into the air only to begin violently shaking side to side. Jaws clamp down feeling the crunch of shell beneath the moss. There's a sharp shriek before the charger goes limp.

Tiso drops it to the ground, his throat letting out a long, slow rumbles as he examines the dead bug with a heavy snort. Ghost relaxes from their fighting pose, approaching closer to examine the Massive Moss Charger. Because it wasn't infected, it did not explode in infectious goo, remaining intact. Hollow remains behind Tiso, their gaze up and watching Tiso with keen interest, shoulders now tense as they spot the small warning signs that their smaller sibling did not.

The smaller vessel nears the corpse, hand reaching out to touch only to look up towards Tiso. Immediately they dash out of the way as the wyrm's jaws return to pick the body back up. His eyes seemed distant in that short moment, going about softly gnawing and chewing through the moss. Leaves fall from his jaws till at last the corpse is positioned correctly. Tiso tilts his head up, biting and chewing till the dead bug slides down as his swallows. Once completely devoured, the wyrm lowers his head back down, showing a slight lump in his neck descended down into his belly. Now, he merely growls towards Ghost, still behaving with that strange distant stare.

There's a moment of hesitation from Ghost, staring up at Tiso. They pondered for those few seconds before coming to their realization. Oh, Tiso was just hungry! That would explain the aggression. Ghost turns to their cloak, reaching inside to fetch something to help this situation. For Tiso, on the other hand, blinks a few times before coming to his senses just long enough to register in his mind the taste of moss, dirt, and bug all jumbled in like the worst tossed salad he'd had the 'pleasure' of eating once upon a time. He hacks a few times all while sticking his tongue out in disgust.

" _BLEH! What in wyrm did I just put in my mouth!? Ugh! Pleh! Tastes like something died mixed with dirt. Ack! Disgusting! What the heck Squib, why'd you make me eat that thing!?_ " He roars out, complain while sputtering out the bitter taste off his tongue.

Hollow stays on the side line, watching the scene unfold with a slight tilt of their head. Reaching out, they try to calm Tiso down with a few gentle pats of their hand in hopes that maybe doing so will keep the wyrm from acting out so suddenly and without warning. Tiso barely flinches to the touch and doesn't seem to look back to meet with the bigger vessel's empty gaze that secretly ebbed concern behind those dark eyes. Instead all his attention was that on Ghost who at last reveals what they had been searching from inside their cloak through mysterious storage means.

With both hands, the tiny vessel reveals the slain vengefly from earlier to present before Tiso. In their logic, surely Tiso was just hungry and could use a better snack than a large moving salad? So with that in mind, Ghost proceeds to toss the prey into the air to make it easier on the wyrm to snatch. There was hardly a moment for gravity to take over when those scissor jaws snap forward. The moment his nose got a whiff of that vengefly, Tiso couldn't fight back the urge to snatch it, food on the mind getting the better of him.

Ghost looks on as the wyrm easily gulps down the offered meal without so much as a few bites to break it up, a mere drop of water in the bucket for Tiso's new appetite. There's a faint grumbling sound from his throat, eyes start to squint shut as he lets out a heavy breath of air. The vengefly was by no means rotten to the taste or felt caught in the throat. No, instead the answer would come from unforeseen circumstances. White eyes would open back up, staring down at the small vessel once more and this time with the same stare given to Ghost and their sister back in the Colosseum.

A roar erupts from Tiso and he goes on the attack, jaws wide open to catch the Knight. Ghost narrowly dodges out of the way as those dark blue jaws slam into the moss and rip chucks away only to spit them out. He whips around, snarling in anger and tries to snap the fleeing vessel again. It takes only seconds for the reaction and suddenly there's a longnail held up against their maw.

Hollow stands between their sibling and friend, having watched the scene unfold. With little time to react, they held their nail out to block even if their pain was ebbing back from lack of rest to heal their old wounds. Silent they stand, moving only when Tiso does, side-stepping to ensure the wyrm couldn't reach Ghost. Poor Ghost can do nothing but watch on in this intense stand still. Tiso was just fine minutes ago, how could a small snack change his demeanor entirely and be near feral-like!? They didn't want to see their foolish friend make an even bigger fool out of themselves and they certainly didn't want Hollow to make some mistake and hurt Tiso on accident, even if it was all in self-defense!

Tiso lets out a snarl and tries to crane his neck to one side to side swipe the two. Instead his nose is met with the end of the longnail's tip, poking but not slicing, enough to push the former ant back. He yelps only once, backing off only to look back at them once more. Again and again, more blocks with the wyrm's muzzle starting to pepper with tiny surface cuts. Ghost reaches up, tugging on Hollow's cloak to try and find a way to help Tiso come back to his senses. Something was wrong and they knew it had to do something with his latest meals. Maybe they were mildly toxic to wyrms and made them mad with hunger?

Before the vessels would figure out an answer, Tiso goes in for another attempt to strike. It would, fortunately, be thwarted as a high speed whistle cuts the air followed by the quick shimmer of silvery metal flying over the vessel's heads. Coming into view, it was revealed to be the tell-tale needle, Hornet closing in from behind with her needle's point aimed for Tiso. 

"Shaw!" She shouts, catching the wyrm off-guard before making rapid work with her silk, binding his jaws shut before thrusting her needle into the ground.

Tiso groans out, shaking his head side to side, feeling the silk start to give way strain by strain. Distracted by this, does Hornet grabs hold of the end of the chain, turning back towards Hollow.

"Hollow, the pike!"

Hollow nods, abandoning their longnail in favor of the pike left on the mossy ground and with careful aim and execution, plunges it back into the ground through the chain link, once again keeping Tiso in place just in time as the silk rips away from the powerful force of his jaws. White eyes locked on Hornet, he charges forth, only to get a painful reminder and a dose of reality back into his mind the moment the barbs on his harness dig in hard. He releases a yelp of pain, shaking his head side to side only to be poked more times. 

At last with a heavy thump, Tiso's head comes crashing down in defeat, groaning as his eyes lidded half-way. With a heavy snort of air, he lets off a light moan as his eyes start to blink, coming back to his senses. 

" _Ugh... my face feels like it's been spiked all over. Wha-what happened? I kinda blanked out for a min-UTE! EEE! Princess, warn me next time!_ " He starts only to cry out from the sting of the Dreamnail.

"Be fortunate I didn't aim for your heart! The amount of noise you made likely caused most of the prey in the area to scatter. Now I see you trying to go after Ghost and Hollow, and you were loose when I wanted you to stay put! Tell me Tiso, give me one good reason why I shouldn't just ignore my siblings' affections and dislodge that useless mass you call a brain from your head!?" Hornet hisses, enough to poke a spider fang out from under the edge of her mask.

" _Loose!? Yer one-armed mutey let me out! Tell her I'm telling the truth_!"

Hollow perks up, their head tilts to one side, curious before pointing to themselves before to Hornet. As she witnesses this, she snaps her gaze back and forth from wyrm to vessel, noting the cues to and fro. That's when it hits her like a ton of rubble.

"Hollow!? You, wha!? You... you can understand Tiso's garble? You know what he's saying without this magical bladeless nail?"

The larger vessel slowly turns their attention back to Hornet, staring at her in silence as if contemplating. Then, with a single heavy nod, they confirm to their sister that yes, they could indeed hear Tiso's words past the feral wyrm sounds. If they had means to tell her, it would be that this was an unfortunate side-effect to having to contain The Radiance for so long, her influence of accessing minds much like the dreamnail, had rubbed off onto them, allowing them to translate the garbled mess into coherent thoughts.

"And you failed to notify me of this ability?"

Hollow shrugged, they saw no reason to tell her if she was gonna keep smacking Tiso with the Dreamnail anyways. Ghost watches from behind, head bobbing back and forth between Hornet and Hollow apparently bickering over how to handle Tiso. So, instead they hobble over to where the wyrm was currently stewing in his own frustration over the recent events and trying to figure out what went wrong. 

Tiso glances to the little vessel, not bothering to move his head back up, quite content to laying on the soft moss.

" _What do you want now, Squib_?" He grumbles.

Ghost stares at him for what felt like the longest minute every before the small Pale thing hops up and climbs on top of Tiso's head. His antennae twitch to the light movement, feeling the tiny feet patter about on his now stronger scales adorning his head. Once they surveyed the spot, Ghost plops down, sitting on the wyrm's head as if attempting to ride off into the unknown. Another annoyed groan escapes from Tiso's throat, only to change to that of the mysterious thrumming that rumbles when he feels tiny hands pat above an eyebrow ridge, petting and letting him know his previous actions were already forgiven.

The wyrm would eye the small seemingly wild child just sit there and pat him like nothing had happened, but something did to which he lets out a defeated sigh.

" _Fine Pale Thing, you win._ "

A pat on the eyebrow confirms to Tiso no harm would come to him after what had happened and decides for once to stay quiet and listen in on Hornet's obviously heated banter with her older sibling.

"Alright! Let's start this over with a little more clarity. Hollow, what happened exactly to make Tiso turn on you and little Ghost?"

Hollow pauses, going back into that solid statue like stance all the while thinking of how to convey their answer. Soon they kneel down, plucking a handful of moss before balancing it on top of their hand, using their long fingers to mimic legs.

"Moss creep?"

They shake their head slightly, no think bigger sis.

"A Moss charger?"

No, try even bigger.

Hornet takes a mere two seconds for narrowing down what moss covered creatures moved about on multiple legs instead of upright as a moss knight that dwell in deeper parts of Greenpath were out of the question.

"A Massive Moss Charger!? Are you for certain!? Where is it now?"

Hollow looks back to Tiso, who immediately perks up his antennae.

" _I ate it, it was gross, like salad_."

The vessel looks back to Hornet, shaking the moss off their hand to point to the end of their mask then drags their finger along their throat down. Hornet makes a double take to Tiso, then back to Tiso again.

"So, you're saying it's food, that drives Tiso into a wild wyrm state of mind?"

" _What!? No! No way, I'd totally know if I was going crazy just from eating one mouthful of walking salad and a morsel Squib gave me. I didn't go wild back at the Edge and in the Colosseum! Tell her that! I'm not going crazy_!" Tiso starts, eyes wide and panic stricken. Of course he won't get the chance for Hollow to translate as the Dreamnail swipes across his scar, leaving him to yowl from the sting.

"Oh shut up Tiso! It's obvious food is involve, and up to this point I presume you've been eating prey freshly killed and not prepared. Of course, starving you won't lessen things, especially if I have to hear your excessive whining and wailing for days on end. So we're keeping you chained up here for now until we have a means for you to consume meals without going wild minded." Hornet instructs, placing her needle away before revealing something from inside her cloak.

In her hands would be a very fat maggot, too bold to try and harass other bugs that she would do those bugs a service by removing the loud-mouth white grub with her needle. The sight of it makes Tiso's maw start to drool, when was the last time he had something as delicious as a fatty maggot?

" _Oh come on Princess, lemme just eat that! Just a nibble! I'm getting hungry just smelling it_!" He whines, the end of his tail wiggling in place amongst his coils.

Hornet pulls the maggot away, giving the wyrm fool the stink eye.

"No, I'm going to cook this instead and see if you react violently after eating cooked meat. Ghost, stay out here and keep watch. Hollow, I know you wish to help but for now until this is finished I want you back in bed resting. Do I make myself clear?!"

Hollow stands up, their uncovered eye staring down at Hornet before offering a small nod. Well, at least she promised to they could get out of bed when the meal was made. They're be resting lightly through the wait. Ghost, meanwhile waves them off, watching the two head for Hornet's hidden burrow all the while Tiso lets out a disappointed grumble. Great, to be grubsat by the small Pale Thing of all bugs in the kingdom. Well, he had time to wait. Who knows, maybe a cooked meal would bypass this curse and change him back to normal. So the turned fool waits, ignoring the weird feeling of Ghost now using his back to slide down for fun, minding the spines before running back towards the wyrm's head to do it all over again.

Just how long does it take to cook a measly maggot?

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The quietness of the Blue Lake was disturbed by the sound of feet hitting the stony shores, and clanking of metal echoing off the cavern walls. 

God Tamer stares out towards the lake, a band of fools behind her, all in full armor with weapons at the ready to help her recapture her pet.

"Looks like a dead end Tamer. The tracks disappear here. That wyrm of yer's is probably too clever and made a tunnel it could cover the entrance with. Maybe we should go back to the Colosseum?" One of the shield fools says, internally seeking to go back to the familiar arena and battle scenes. Not here in this cool, almost too quiet place with a wyrm somewhere now patrolling.

The veteran warrior kneels down, examining the movement of rocks and sand. It presented grooves, wide and smooth yet shallow that wasn't pressing into the ground. At first the tracks had merely wound in a circle, foot prints from that spider princess evident along with the small warrior. She hums in thought, eyes tracing the path. Though not a hunter, Tamer was still somewhat of an expert tracker herself. How else would she of been able to capture and tame the various beasts of questionable divinity?

She returns to standing up, following the path that eventually moves out from the circles, forming a shallow groove.

"Tamer? Hey did you hear? I think we lost it, probably half-way to Deepnest by now if not out of the kingdom."

"Oh no, it's still here." Tamer finally speaks, her mouth slowly twisting into a sinister smile.

Her feet reaches the edge of the lake, where she can clearly see the tracks pressing under the water briefly before it disappears. Now she had an idea where her precious god pet went to. One of the few places to get that belly of its well fed.

"I hope you like swimming boys... we're heading to greener places, heh heh heh." God Tamer chuckles, anticipation brewing within her for the excitement of re-capture.

"You can swim wyrm, but you can not hide. Not even that princess will keep defending you for long."


	9. At Last We See Eye to Eye

The small fire crackles from the drippings of cooking meat on a small spit. Smells of something sweet and delectable waft through the air, enough to tempt the one preparing the meal to sneak a bite for herself. Yet, this meal was not meant for her despite the temptations of having earned this quarry. Now if only she didn't have so many prying eyes eagerly watching for the moment when the spit stops rotating and fresh hot food was finally prepared.

Hornet slowly rotates the roasting maggot, prepped with all the inedible bits removed. Her hunting burrow was warm thanks to the fire she started earlier, finally putting the small hearth to use. Careful not to over burn the tender, fatty meal, the huntress would reach out with her other hand, poking away some embers to the side with a metal rod to help lower the temperature. Another two rotations and already she could feel that unease return to her from behind. The uncomfortable feeling of being watched.

And she was right.

To her right, Hollow watches with unabated attention, absorbing each and every minute details on Hornet's attempt at 'campfire cooking', all the while still curled up in the makeshift bed under blankets slightly too small for their large frame. Their stare, Hornet didn't mind much if it meant for the older vessel to be engaged in any sort of enrichment away from her father's training and disciplines into a unmoving, ever obeying, living automaton. Now, Hollow could do whatever they liked, though first and foremost was to ensure the vessel fully recover from their ordeal. 

Hornet did not, however, enjoy the peeping presence of Ghost at the doorway with one large glowing white eye that nearly engulfed the whole opening like this was some secret side show.

"The more you two stare, the longer I will be in cooking this! Unless the mighty 'Tiso' prefers to stick to a more leafy diet, then this meal will not go to waste either way!" She whips her head back to yell at the two.

Immediately, Tiso lets yelps out, pulling his head away only to yelp again for hitting his head on the bottom side of a rock ledge while Ghost scrambles to follow the wyrm behind. He lets out a grumble before finally moving back to allow his chain some slack. Ghost follow behind, hoping up onto his back to sit and wait, at least being nice to provide the company. Still though, it seems the fool just couldn't keep away too long and pushes his luck again, just not as close as before.

" **TI-SO! OUT** " 

Immediately some form of hard object flies out out the entrance way, smacking the wyrm in the cheek. He pulls back, shaking his head side to side while releasing a whimper.

" _But I'm hungry! It smells too good in there NOT to stick my nose inside! How much longer Princess!?_ " He whines, warbling with the attempt to look sad and pathetic that only grants him another shout from inside the burrow.

"Shut up Tiso!"

With a snort, Tiso does so begrudgingly. He curls his body into a neat circle of coils, with Ghost sitting on where his neck starts to crane upwards into the air. He gives the chain attached to his harness a few testing tugs for slack, lets out a growl of annoyance before laying his head back down on top of his coils, mumbling words under his breath mostly dealing with time and hunger.

The small vessel perks up, moving to climb up further on till they reach the wyrm's head and sit down between his antennae. They twitch to Ghost's presence but makes no other movement or motion. Only more grumbles and complaints in wyrm-tongue. A tiny hand reaches down, patting Tiso to try to break him out of his impatient funk. Anything really, to help prevent another episode of him going feral on wyrm instincts he was not accustomed towards.

White eyes roll upwards finally, trying to get a look at Ghost while waiting in what felt like an eternity since his last meal of Massive Moss Charger and Vengefly. Just when exactly would he feel full and satisfied enough not to go after anyone else as walking snacks. The scent of cooking gets Tiso to blink, returning his visual towards the burrow and the light inside but most importantly that heavenly smell drifting out and invading his now sensitive nose. Jaws open and close slowly to allow his tongue to whip out for a lick across his muzzle, the smell increasing to the point he finds amazement in actually being able to taste the scent! That alone, gets the young wyrm to drool at the corners of his maw. Just how long ago had it been since he last had a real hot meal?

" _Hey Squib, better not be thinking about stealing a bite off that maggot, or else you'll sorry._ " Tiso growls, though it was half-worked up. Honestly he would be all bark and no bite with the small knight sneaking a nibble so long as he got the majority of it. Now Hollow on the other hand... not sure if that lanky tall vessel would try to steal some large share of the prize.

Thankfully for him, Ghost was obviously to Tiso's words and without the Dreamnail, would not be able to translate the wyrm garble into understandable thoughts. They gaze down with those dark empty eyes that gave away nothing and yet felt understanding all the same. The gaze was a bit unnerving at times for Tiso, even if the vessel means well. Just that blank stare, as if silently judging him, peering through his shell (or scales now) and seeing what sort of bug (wyrm) he truly was. A coward? A true fool unfit for the reality of battle? 

Relief would come to pop those thought bubbles the moment Ghost gives Tiso a quick boop on the snoot, then proceeds to rub in tight circles. Tiso blinks a few times before coming to relax in his coils. His throat begins to thrum, gently vibrating to the little attention to distract him from his hunger pains and random thoughts. Why was it so easy for the knight to put him in this strange relaxing, almost trance-like state? Not that he was complaining, no. Tiso just found it inconvenient while they waited.

Ghost suddenly stops, turning to slide off Tiso and step aside. Tiso almost goes to speak only for that heavenly aroma to hit him like a ton of stone. 

Out from the burrow, comes Hornet with Hollow trailing behind, hand holding onto their longnail. Using Tiso's shield as a serving platter, she carries the now roasted golden yellow maggot to present to the wyrm. Oh the mere sight of it, let alone just how strong the smell was sent eager growls and gargles from Tiso's stomach.

"Now... Tiso I'm going to set this down. When I step back a moderate ways, you may try to eat and we shall see if this will trigger your feral tendencies. If so then we're stuck at square one again until we can find a solution to being able to keep you from wanting to eat civilians." Hornet explains, keeping her eyes on Tiso and mentally noting the weight of her needle behind her.

" _Ugh fine, you know I ain't about eating folks but whatever. Gimme that already, sheesh. I can't remember the last time I ate something hot!_ "

Hornet stares on as the wyrm garbles away at what she could only guess to be excessive whining. It was so half tempting to just turn around and walk back into her burrow and offer this food to her siblings instead. However, the thought of Tiso breaking through the dwelling just to get at the meal kept her from acting out on that thought. So she lowers the shield down, eyes always trained on him before leaning back up. The two exchange what seemed to be impatient gazes for a few seconds till Hornet finally starts stepping backwards, her left hand reaching for the hilt of her needle.

"Alright, you may ea-" She starts only to tense up when Tiso slams down, grasping the cooked maggot in his jaws.

The moment the juices start to flow, it was the flavor of heaven to Tiso. Hot and delicious, yielding to his new teeth before finally swallowing down the tasty morsel. The warmth of the cooked meal could be felt going down his gullet and he lets out a long satisfied sigh of relief. That was good, really good. By Wyrm, when did he eat something this amazing? Was it just his wyrm body reacting to the tastes or all him? 

The pale siblings stood watch as Tiso proceeds to whip out his tongue to lick up any remaining juices around his maw. All tense, hands on weapons in case this situation went south bad and needed to once again knock sense back into him. They were waiting for the signs, when Tiso's behavior would make a one-eighty and become aggressive, wild, and acting out to continue filling that never ending pit of a stomach. Hornet could feel her heart racing, pounding enough to get her riled up, senses tensed and posed to the slightly movement. Two predators ready to take the other one if the circumstances came to it.

Tiso himself also waits, staring down at the mossy ground, waiting for that feeling to want to eat more and when food won't come his mind would feel fuzzy and blank out. Still tasting the flavors, his tongue rubs up against the roof of his mouth till the taste diludes enough to disappear. Yet, as the group waits, still as statues expecting the worst... Tiso still feels himself in control. No fuzziness of the mind, nor the sudden urge of hunger to spark him into a feral mess. By no means did a cooked maggot granted him the feeling of fullness. He blinks a few times, then turns his attention to the group.

" _He-hey! I think I'm okay! I don't feel all... moody and want to eat everyone minded!_ " He almost roars out, grinning from cheek to cheek.

Listening in, Hollow is the first to relax, lowering their longnail to the side. Ghost turns their attention back to Hollow and the two vessels merely exchange those silent stares. For Hornet, her body still remains tense, not wanting to fall for a false sense of security. She turns to glance to Hollow, noting their relaxed posture.

"Hollow, all is well, I presume?" She asks.

Hollow barely moves their head to face their sister, staring with their empty looking eye before offering her a solid nod. Hornet remains tense only for a second or two before finally releasing the grip she had on her needle. With their sister finally at ease enough, does Ghost return to look back at Tiso before rushing over to give him a big pat on the belly, careful of his scar.

"Well, at least that's one thing we won't need worrying about then. Seems like I'll be force to perfect my cooking skills outside of simply using a flame to prepare simple prey."

Hornet wasn't thrilled with the idea of cooking. It wasn't her interest and barely did so out of necessity for survival in this ruined kingdom. So if Tiso was going to demand some sort of fancy dish after this discovery, he was just going to be a stick out of luck. It was going to be campfire meats and various soups coming from the kingdom Sentinel. 

" _Yeah, well.... I'm still hungry. That maggot was good but I still feel like I could devour like... a whole town's worth of pantries and kitchens._ " Tiso whines, letting off a slight frown. This time, however, he was prepared as Hornet retrieves back the Dreamnail and swipes it across him to hear his thoughts.

"That is to be expected, you do have a wyrm body and with that the increased hunger, especially being a small wyrm in comparison. If there are any full grown wyrms left in the world, they'd eyed you just as much as a snack as you did to the meal I just prepared."

That shuts up Tiso, tensing up with wide eyes that even gets the edges of his hood to stretch out before relaxing back against the sides of his neck. 

Feeling a nudge to her left shoulder, Hornet changes attention to that of Hollow. The taller vessel gently moves their hand away, staring their sister down for a rather long pause until they manage to move their hand again to point towards Tiso then back at her, or more importantly, her needle. She offers back a head tilt, trying to make sense of Hollow's means of communicating their thoughts through their silent gestures. Hornet would be patient with them so that they may get their message across with clarity. Ghost, on the other hand from her experience, was a wild card to try to figure out what the little sibling wanted including to but not limited to, their way of just staring at someone and the other just assumes they know what the Knight wants.

"Are you certain? I feel much more at ease if he remains here where you and your sibling can keep a better eye on his actions. It would do no good if that over-sized fool were to spoil every plan I lay out." She states, keeping her voice down but to no avail.

" _I can still hear you. Whatever you're planning Princess that involves me, I ain't interested in getting poked and prodded with that needle of yours!_ " Tiso grumbles.

"Shut up Tiso!"

With the wyrm back to just softly grumbling and burying his face and muzzle underneath one of his many coils, Hornet returns to try to understand Hollow's slow and soft gestures. 

"You believe it's for the best? Hollow, though I do trust your judgement over most decisions, I cannot bring myself to believe that taking Tiso on another hunt for prey would be a wise and suitable endeavor. Especially with you not at full strength and Little Ghost... well, we are both aware of what they are capable of."

Hollow remains still, staring down at their sister as if trying trying to think of some solid counter argument. For their sake, thankfully, there would be little to no effort the moment after Hornet stated her options rather openly. The moment she utters out taking Tiso out with her on a hunt, the turned fool immediately perks up, antennae held high with eyes wide. He slides his head out from under his coils, leering in closer like an attentive nymph eager for participation. 

" _Hunt!? Did you say hunt? Sounds like fun t' me! Come on Princess! I promise I'll behave, I'll only like... maybe bite off one or two heads off but it'll be great! Okay so I may of been joking about the head biting thing but what's the next best thing after proving to be a great fighter? A great hunter too!_ "

Tiso's warbling calls gets Hornet tensed up, shoulders squaring in annoyance at hearing the loud obnoxious noise come out of the wyrm's maw. It was bad enough when Tiso was his normal self and wouldn't shut up about being a great fighter and all but this was borderline worthy of throwing her needle at his face for. Her fingers flex into fists before relaxing into a repeated process. So tempting... so very tempting.

"Enough!" She finally shouts, getting Tiso to stop and move back just a little though unable to hide the end of his tail shaking all over the place to show his brewing excitement.

"If I permit you to accompany me on a hunt, can I count on you Tiso to not ruin it with some fool's errand by charging headlong into danger that could jeopardized not only yourself but me included?! I do not normally allow anyone else to attend a hunt with me by any means. So, if you follow along, you are to follow MY instructions to insure a successful kill. I'm already having to find a new means to adapt as stealth will not play in my favor with you following behind."

Tiso blinks only to barely sneer at the remark and lets off a quick, heavy snort. Hornet sure likes to boss around everybody, doesn't she? He couldn't tell who was worse with throwing orders around, her or Tamer.

"Those are my rules, you may take them and we shall see if there's any viable prey for us all, or shall I leave you to remain chained up here like a pet Tiktik?"

There's a pause in response. Tiso stares down at Hornet who's gaze becomes that sort of unnerving stance that couldn't be decipher if she was going to pounce on him with her weapon or turn away and leave him. It was a silent battle of persistence, the two not making a move for what felt like (to Tiso at least) ages before the former ant finally gave in. He groans out, lowering his head down to offer but a few solid nods.

" _Yeah, yeah. I'll follow along Princess. Just don't go about treating me like some tracking gnat on a leash._ " He growls out, weak at best and as expected, yelps out when he felt the strange energy blade swipe across his face making him wince his eyes.

"I thought so. Then we are in agreement to a hunter's pact." Hornet puts away the Dreamnail, knowing she'll be needing it soon after. "Hollow, Ghost. I need you both to remain here to watch over until our return. I expect you to return to some much needed bed rest Hollow, just to err on the side of caution. But first, if you can..." 

Hornet points to the end of Tiso's chain, still firmly planted in the ground with the pike holding it down. The tall vessel seems unmoving by Hornet's request until their head slowly moves to the direction she points towards. Ghost watches on as their sibling manages to step over, placing their remaining hand to the pike and gives it a good tug. It rips away, freeing the end of the chain to which Hornet now picks up in her hand. Despite it's smaller size, the link was designed with pulling strength in mind, not dead weight. Still, she'll have to be careful of the barbs intertwined in the chain. 

She turns to Tiso and without warning, she leaps into the air, landing on top of his head between his antennae. He flinches, eyeing her as if to state what's the big deal, nearly ready to give the young spider an earful only for her to state her actions beforehand.

"An insurance to make sure you don't wander off without me. There are locations in Greenpath I do NOT want you traveling through. Not without grave consequences."

" _Don't have to be a grouch about it, ya know. Fine, lead the way. The sooner we catch something to eat, the better my mood about all of this will be._ "

Satisfied in his (begrudgingly) agreement, Hornet turns to her siblings.

"Keep the place safe, we will try to return as soon as we can but it might take a day or more if quarry is waning and we have to search elsewhere. Try not to make a mess of the place nor stray far." She instructs, getting a nod from Hollow and a silent stare from Ghost, only to nod the moment their taller sibling nudges them with a small kick to follow along.

With that, Hornet nods back, points her needle in a particular direction towards a tunnel and nudges Tiso with one foot to follow. He gazes in the direction, inhaling deep before moving his much bigger body, slithering off in hopes of finding something that'll keep him from being a wild, hunger-crazed wyrm.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Deep within the tunnels of Greenpath, Hornet keeps an eye out for any sign while still riding on top of Tiso. While she scanned for tracks, Tiso takes advantage of his wyrm nose, inhaling in all the scents the territory had to offer. Of course it was mostly the acidic sting from the natural acid springs, but now and then he would get the scent of fresh, good dirt and natural decomposition. It felt very homey here, no wonder Hornet chose this as her prime hunting grounds. 

Now and then Tiso would catch the scent of something, finding the tracks the scent would cling to. Hornet would let him know they belong to the Mosskin, more specifically the Moss Knights that protect the area closer to the Lake of Unn. 

"I'd rather we not get any closer to the old god's domain. I can not tell for certain if she would take you for what you truly are, or will she merely see a young wyrm foolishly encroaching on what remains of her territory." She explains, nudging Tiso to move on with one hand holding his chain and the other grasping the Dreamnail.

" _Why not we go deeper? Ain't there more greenery further down? Seems like prime hunting turf to me._ " Tiso responds, taking a pause to glance up only to flinch at the swipe of the Dreamnail.

"No. Again, I don't want to risk your discovery. The Queen's Gardens may once been a part of Greenpath ages ago, but they hold only more dangers beyond the sting of nail or slash of claw. The very plant life itself could pose a real threat to us both, nor do I want to have to explain to yet another old God taking refuge there of your existence. She would most definitely not take kindly to seeing a new wyrm in the territory of the old one."

" _Ah... huh. Just exactly how many 'gods' live in all of Hallownest anyways? If I'm such a big deal, why don't they just, I dunno, show themselves and fix up the place or something instead of letting most of the so called kingdom just go to ruin, eh? What's the big deal with the one down in the old Queen's Gardens?_ "

Hornet goes silent for a moment, taking this opportunity to visually scout from her high perch before finally revealing the answer.

"She was once the Queen of Hallownest. Her husband, the king, was a wyrm. Even now, she is still loyal to him and his dying wishes. I will not jeopardize ourselves if we face an old Root's fury."

" _Oh. Wish you'd of told me early. Yeah, I really don't feel like dying today._ "

"Tiso, death will come sooner to you if you don't hush your excessive noise and likely scare every potential prey away!"

Tiso lets off a small gurgle of annoyance, giving Hornet a quick tight frown before silencing himself. The pair continue onward, going through parts of the territory barely traveled by any bug anymore. Places thick and overgrown which he often would have to pause for Hornet to cut away some of the vines and moss that would catch on the barbs on his harness. Eventually they would find themselves at an old, long abandon crossroads that nowhere was shown on any map. 

Hornet hops down, needle in hand as she examines the area, eye sharp for any movement. Tiso lifts his head back up, antennae held forward as he takes in more scent, trying to figure out what might be lurking in these long lost tunnels. So far, the trails seemed cold, empty of any life that would use the overgrown roads as a passageways to avoid being caught. After a few hard sniffs, he returns his attention back to the huntress, even so much as to crane his head down to her level all the while she remain knelt down with a hand full of dirt and overturned stone.

"Something's been here... these tracks are well hidden with the moss but what areas are not patched over, you can just make out the small presses into the soil. Something with many legs. Possibly large."

She takes a second to glance back to her partner before an idea strikes. Carefully, Hornet lifts up a handful of the dirt and stone, holding it to Tiso closer.

"Can you pick up the scent?"

Tiso blinks then shifts his head around so that he could get a good whiff, careful not to accidently inhale the very same dirt. It smelt of well, dirt of course, but something else clung to it. Something strange and organic, but sharp like metallic. Whatever it was, had some form of armor. He glances to Hornet, then lifts his head higher, trying to catch any scent that might linger in the air. Tiso takes a few sniffs to his right, then shifts over to his left. 

There! Barely, he could just pinpoint the faint trail and lets off a low grumble.

" _It smells like it's coming from that way Princess. Wanna pursue it?_" He askes, flinching to the ethereal light strike across his chest.

"Only if you are up to it in your current form, though I see no reason why most creatures would give you trouble. You did manage to eat a Mawlek afterall."

The wyrm stares at Hornet and then offers her a smug grin, revealing those strange jagged scissor like teeth. Tiso leans down, offering Hornet to get back up on his head and the two begin their pursuit down the abandon tunnel. As light starts to fade away for a lull tone, the scent starts to grow stronger, getting Tiso excited to quicken his pace, now fully comfortable in his new form of motion. For Hornet, being on top allows her to for once take in her surroundings, examining the tunnel further and further in. Something about it seemed... familiar... more well defined and...

"STOP!"

Tiso skids to a stop, rolling his eyes upward towards the spider in a brief moment of confusion. She hops down, forgetting his chain to allow it to dangle next to him. Hornet observes the area, noting the decay and tries to piece together what might have been here. As she walks further, something catches on her left foot to which she looks down and pushes aside. 

Old silk threads... and it all pieces back together.

"I know these old roads! These... these were made strictly for my mother. It was so she.. and.. I could... " 

Memories flood in. Memories of a much tinier Hornet, dressed in her mother's best made silk dresses with frills and a large bow around her neck. Of her riding on her mother's back, excited to have a 'tea party' with her step-mother and her knight companion. Most importantly were the days of these meet ups, that she always hoped and on rare occasions, wish granted, to see her older, taller, stronger half sibling Hollow (or Pure Vessel as they were referred to back in those days) and interacted with them, even if they did not do much interacting back then.

" _Wait a minute Princess, you tellin' me this old crumbling tunnel connects to Deepnest!? That lair of webs and things no one mentions about?!_ " Tiso lets out a slightly worried rumble. Not that he was scared of that kingdom, no way! He was just... leery of what could be living in those rather damp, tight, confusing dark lair to catch him off guard.

Hornet turns to look at Tiso, not sure whether to forgive his rather panic sounding call or to be annoyed at the possibility of him saying something snarky or smug as he always does. Instead, he actually backs up some, shaking his head enough to get the chain rattling against the stone and dirt. With a groan, she approaches to grab the chain and gives it a good yank enough for those barbs on his harness to poke in just slightly. He yelps in response, only to back away even more.

"Enough of this Tiso! Are you going to accompany me on this hunt or will you return empty-handed and even more hungry than before? You're a wyrm, most creatures would be wise to steer clear of an apex predator. You have nothing to fear down there." She insists, trying to size up against Tiso.

" _Nn.. When you put it in that way... I am still kinda hungry. Oh fine, have it your way Princess, but you better be good at aiming that needle where it counts! Not gonna waste my time having my tail chewed by who knows what's down there!_ "

Satisfied with the more relaxed sounds from the wyrm, Hornet finally nods in agreement. Returning to look at the section of tunnel, she cautiously approaches a more darker area. Eventually it opens up to a large rocky chamber of sorts, possibly a way point or an area worker bugs once used to store supplies. Whatever the purpose was back then, it served as a place for Tiso to stretch himself out before squeezing through the smaller tunnel up ahead.

Unfortunately for them, they wouldn't be getting very far.

The ground begins to rumble leading to Hornet snap her attention back on Tiso, expecting the fool to be the source of the vibrations. Instead, he too, was on sudden alert to the rumbling underneath him, quickly looking about for its source. That source in question, would not take long to reveal itself.

"Tiso watch out!"

Both dodged out of the way as a large garpede storms through, using the tunnel system as its own personal abode. It hisses at the intruders, moreso towards Tiso than Hornet as the bigger threat. In turn, Tiso lets out a snarl of his own, flashing his maw to distract the large beast. Perfect timing as Hornet leaps into the air, needle flashing as she goes in for the attack. She knows it was very difficult to take on a garpede with how armored their were with practically blades for feet to dig through close to solid rock. Not impossible to defeat, just time consuming.

Hornet lands on top of the beast, shouting out a battle cry before trying to plunge her needle into flesh between two large plates. Instead, the garpede violently shakes, rolling over to knock the huntress off. It only succeeds in having Hornet swipe her blade across it's underside, needle plinking against armor. She lets off a growl to try again, only to be met with again, more blows that bounce off the giant bug's carapace. 

"Tiso get it!" Hornet shouts, leaping out of the way from being snatched by the Garpede's mandibles as it doubles back.

Tiso had been watching on the side-lines up until this point. Having never really encountered a wild garpede and only the ones Tamer kept as obstacles for the trials, he had no idea how to go about attacking. These things were heavily armored, and sharp not just in their legs but their mandibles as well. Well, he did wanted to attend a hunt so here it was right in front of him. He releases a roar, and charges head on against the squirmy beast. 

By head on, he literally just rushes in, head down and rams into the side of the beast, getting a few scraps of sharp feet against his face and scales. Letting out a shriek, he rears back in time for Hornet to try again. She leaps in, using her silk to try to start tying up some of the garpede's legs to slow it down. Instead, it was quickly realized to be a wasted effort as it as the razor sharp legs rip through the threads. Now the garpede lets out its own raspy shrill of a hiss and focuses on Hornet. In response, the needle flies out, only to plink off harmlessly off the head.

Hornet retracts her weapon and dodges out of the way, allowing Tiso to try to ram it again against a wall. He yelps when his underside is scratched up of course, retreating to allow Hornet to try again, stab and jab what she could on the giant prey's back. At last her weapon finds tender flesh, plunging in that at best results in shallow cuts. The beast's tail whips around, successfully swiping her off her back. Hornet yelps, sent off till she slams up against a wall. She could swore she felt something off, pain rippling over one leg. There was no time for weakness, however, and she staggers back up only to bear a limp. Enough evidence for the garpede to go in for the kill. Hornet would brace herself, needle held out in hopes that some sort of counter could be met and she'd avoid those mandibles.

There would be only one roar in warning before the blue and black body of Tiso ruptures through, slamming with all his might against the garpede. The beast shrieks in surprised, scrambling to get back upright to witness the wyrm, now with eyes focused with a more feral, predatory stare, putting himself between it and Hornet. Again, he roars out, jaws wide open to threaten back, snapping so loud even Hornet had to muffle her hearing at the sound of thunder. The garpede, taking up on the threat, tries to come at Tiso again, hissing and clacking its own mandibles.

The wyrm snarls and goes down again to bite the air in front of his prey. Another roar and Hornet watches as the hidden hood flares out on the sides of Tiso's neck, now looking bigger and more intimidating. The garpede manages to stop briefing, now taken by surprise having never encountered a creature that presented some sort of bigger threatening display. All the time Tiso needed to strike.

Jaws wide open, Tiso whips down with his head, grabbing the garpede from the back of its own head, shaking violently. There's a gargle of shrieks, hemolymph splattering against the tunnel walls and floor. Hornet could only stagger to watch the scene take place, as both giants battle back and forth for victory. The garpede would manage to wiggle out of Tiso's grasp, slash at him a few times only for the wyrm to come right back, using his body to wrap around the large prey, squeezing for all its worth while his jaws returned to bite around the head and neck area. 

Then, there would be a loud shrieking cry, the wyrm's jaws now firmly clamping down on the beast's neck. A hard bite, the shrieking ceasing, and the garpede's head drops to the ground with a heavy thud. The rest of the body continues to jerk about in the wyrm's coils till it follows after the head and becomes still as it grows cold. Slowly, Tiso unfurls his coils which was now covered in light cuts from the garpede's bladed legs. Nothing deep, but they would heal with time and rest, unless of course Tiso reverts back to normal.

Though, as Hornet watches on after witnessing this battle, was it still a possibility? 

Tiso stands there, grunting with each hard breath as he seems to be in some sort of trance, not acknowledging Hornet as he slowly approaches him. His eyes seemed focused on the garpede head, pausing to lick around his maw and tasting the coppery taste of the beast's hemolymph. A heavy snort of air and the grunts stop as he turns his attention back on Hornet with those same feral looking eyes. He emits a low growl at first, watching the spider continue to approach.

"Tiso?" She finds her voice to speak up, showing herself to ignore the severed garpede all the while keeping her attention on him instead. She lifts a hand, offering it to him.

Another growl, but the wyrm begins to ease his head down, eyes still on her as she remains unmoving. Any movement on weakness and Hornet could end up having to fight Tiso a second time, possibly with disastrous results. She watches as the wyrm lowers his head down further till at last they see eye to eye. Two hunters, having survived a massive prey counter attack. Her hand is pressed again scaled cheek, those white eyes still staring at her, and possibly through her... if he was a true Wyrm of course.

Tiso's eyes flutter before blinking a few times, softening back to normal. He breaks their gaze, glancing back to the dead garpede's body then back to Hornet and at last, gives a cheeky smirk.

" _Told ya I could be of use hunting. Not bad if I do say so myself!_ " He boasts only to feel a swift punch to his scar making him yelp out loud enough to not notice the Dreamnail swipe afterwards.

"You MORON, you could of led us both to our demise! That was insane, truly you let your wyrm instincts take the better logic out of you! I could of easily handled this on my own without needing you to put yourself in harm's way!"

Tiso flinches at the shouting, that smug look on his face quickly turns to a concern look for a moment.

" _Gee... Sorry I was just trying to help ya. I'm not the one with a sprain leg there."_ He pauses then looks back on their catch. _"Well, come on Hornet. I bet you want to have this whole thing cooked before it goes bad. I guess I'll carry it._ " 

Hornet swipes the Dreamnail again, only to pause as she gazes at Tiso. Did he... just call her by name? Now it seems, her body goes from its ridged tension, to a more relaxed pose. She takes in a deep breath, then reaches back up.

"Tiso, come here."

Confused, he does as he's told, giving Hornet a look as she reaches behind his head. After some fumbling, he feels a weight lifted and the sound of metal chain clanking. He blinks and moves his head away, watching as his twisted metal harness and chain falls away into a heavy heap. At last, he was free from them, having gained some respect from Hornet. 

"Considered this moment earned. Don't make me regret taking it off early. Now, let's gather what we can and we'll return to camp." Hornet turns to gesture towards the garpede body.

"It would be wise if you did in fact, carry th-AHH!! TISO!" She lets out a shriek of surprise when she feels that muzzle push her from behind, forcing the spider to tumble onto of his head before he leans back down to pick up the corpse.

Jaws grasp the severed end, finding himself much more maneuverable with his maw, able to open it much wider and with no pain of barbs to poke his muzzle. He gives Hornet a waiting glance, making sure she was comfortable on top of his head. She gives him a nod and the pair proceed to drag back the biggest meal Tiso ever had the pleasure of getting to eat later.

As they traveled back, something pings in Tiso's middle and not from his stomach. It flutters from his heart, growing more to get the wyrm to proudly smile even as he feels a small hand pat on his head, a good job well done. Respect earned was something the former ant had longed for and from Hornet of all bugs! 

"By the way... you did good for your first time hunting along side me. I might consider allowing you to tag along in the future."

" _Heh. I loike dat ah-dea_." Tiso tries to say with garpede still clamped in his maw.

So instead of babbling on, he lets that strange thrumming sound and sensation start up in his throat, prompting the huntress on top of him to fully relax to the sound, all the while Tiso himself parades back like a proud wyrm he was. Maybe... being a wyrm wasn't so bad without some magical god-like abilities. With friends like Hornet and her siblings, what could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is almost a year old in the making, can you believe that? But we are starting to head towards the last few chapters since I wish to keep this tale short. Thanks so far for reading this story and enjoying it!


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